The Guardian's Guild: All Roads Lead Home
by J.M.Spellbound
Summary: Part three: There are ghost among the shadows that haunt young Bumblebee and no matter the light that shines in his spark there is a darkness from which he came. A darkness that is searching for him. A darkness that will lead him into the past and many others home. A darkness that Ironhide and Optimus Prime may not be able to best alone.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. Just the plot and OCs.**

**I'll make a note here to any new comers. If you haven't read part one and part two this probably isn't going to make any sense too you. Just putting that out there, you might want to back track before you get completely lost. To those of you who've been with me a while now. I thank you for sticking around.**

**Anyway, the tale of Bumblebee continues and the drama will just build from here. **

**Enjoy! **

* * *

Chapter 1

CRASH!

BANG!

SPLAT!

"Oh slag . . . ." Bumblebee murmured, glancing up the mess that had just become the supply closet. He tilted his little head to the side. How did he manage to get it on the ceiling?

Well . . . there went that plan.

With a sound that loud and the scared squeak that had left him when it happened despite how much he tried not too he was about to get found in three, two, one.

"BUMBLEBEE!" The door to the supply closet swung open to a rather annoyed and somewhat worried looking Sunstreaker who's scowl fell off in shock as his jaw dropped open at the sight before him.

The little youngling grinned innocently from the floor. "Hi, Sunny."

For a nano-klick the warrior just looked around until he pinned his optics back on Bee.

"How did you manage to get paint on the ceiling?!" The golden warrior snapped.

"Uh . . . ." The twelve vorn old youngling really didn't know the answer to that. One klick he was painting his present and then he found himself laying in a puddle of purple paint staring at the green spots on the closet roof above him. He still wasn't all that sure how he fell off his perch on the shelves and ended up down here. It just happened.

Despite the fact that he _had _aged a few vorns since his family came to live on the new battleship the _Eternity _in human terms little Bee hadn't really aged much more than a day. He was still about the equivalent of a six year old human toddler. The first vorns of a sparkling's life they age rather quickly until they reach the nine vorn old mark when they are technically classified as younglings. From then on out their growth and development slow down greatly, not that Bee did a lot of growing in the first place, but now he had reached the point where he was gonna be stuck in pretty much the same mind set for a good few dozen vorns until he was old enough to get his second frame. Even if the little mech was smarter than most his age his size was not on his side and it was starting to become very obvious even to little Bee that he was always going to be kinda small.

That was not a concept that pleased him very much.

He didn't like being so tiny, he wanted to help, he wanted to do, but every time he tried to do for himself something always seemed to go wrong.

Just like how he managed to end up on his back in a puddle of purple paint.

The little youngling let out a tired sigh.

All he wanted to do was be useful and prove that he _could _do stuff for himself. That he wasn't as helpless as his family thought.

Even if he still couldn't figure out a way to reach the energon tanks in the mess hall by himself. Ironhide was _still _mad about when he came in to find the little mech hanging by his toes off the edge of a chair he had somehow managed to scoot over there only to get tangled up in the cable he had been trying to use to pull the nozzle down.

His beloved guardian had been fuming for several breams after that incident. Yelling about how he could have hung himself and that if he ever did something as stupid as that again he'd have Ratchet weld him to their berthroom wall. Optimus hadn't been all that happy with him either and it was an easy guess to say Bee had been stuck in his berth grounded for the rest of the orn.

Grounded . . . Bee hated grounded.

"Half Pint," Sunstreaker let out a sigh as he bent down plucking the little mech from the paint giving the room a good glance before he picked up the half splattered canvas and walked out shutting the door behind him. The mess could wait . . . or better yet it could be some other bots' problem.

"Sorry, Sunny." Bee said as he tried to sit ridged in his caretaker's hand so not to get the paint on him. "Just tryin' do like you."

"Well why didn't you just come ask me to paint with you?" Sunstreaker questioned as he made his way down the soft black colored halls the well lit corridors making the glittering paint shimmer as if it was the vastness of space with all its magical stars.

"You and Sides busy."

"We're never too busy for you, Half Pint." Sunstreaker promised him. "Even on shift you know that. You need us you come find us. Especially when Ironhide is gone. Who's supposed to be watching you anyway?"

Bumblebee chuckled. "Bluestreak's doorwings stuck in shooting range elevator 'gain. Sneak off when Ratchet tryin' help."

Sunstreaker actually had to laugh at that. "Youngling, you gotta stop doing that."

"But me ninja!" He chirped.

"Did Jazz tell you that?" Sunny snorted.

"Says make good one!"

"Remind me to scrap him later, alright?"

"'Kay!"

"I swear he was right there when you were getting me out and—oh there he is." Bluestreak and Ratchet rounded the end of the corridor only to stop short at the sight of the now very purple and green Bumblebee held in Sunstreaker's outstretched hand.

"Squirt," Ratchet's dark blue optics narrowed as Bee shrank back in Sunny's palm while the medic stomped up to them to glare down at his splattered form. "What did you do now?"

"Paintin'." He grinned innocently.

"Found him in a supply closet." Sunstreaker shrugged. "You know, Wrench if you turn your back on him for two nano-klicks he's gone. You should know that by now."

"Don't lecture me." Ratchet warned him waving a wrench he had pulled from subspace. "I'll make sure you can't wax for a Decacycle!"

The golden warrior actually flinched at that before he lowered his gaze. "Sorry, Ratch."

Grumbling under his breath Ratchet waved him off. "I have to fix this idiots wing hinges again."

Bluestreak grinned weakly.

"Will you please get him cleaned up and then over to Optimus? He needs energon."

"Can do." Sunstreaker nodded before heading on his way. He and Bumblebee could hear the sounds of Ratchet whacking poor Bluestreak over the head all the way down the halls toward the medical bay though even with his pitiful cries for mercy the youngling and the warrior still laughed at his expense.

Sunstreaker would actually admit he remotely enjoyed the young snipers company—when he wasn't talking a mile a klick—but that scattered processor he had wasn't the best at keeping up with the stunts Bumblebee could pull. Maybe that was why the youngling liked him so much, Sunny had no idea, but either way it always seemed that Bee snuck off quite easily when Blue was supposed to be watching him and Sunstreaker figured that maybe it was time Ratchet smacked a little sense into him.

Just a little.

"Where we goin'?" Bee questioned.

"Well I can't give you to boss bot looking like this." Sunstreaker answered. "So I guess once again its bath time for you, Half Pint."

Bee didn't really look all that pleased with the notion, but he figured he was in enough trouble with Optimus for sneaking off again so he just crossed his arms and accepted his bath.

The sight of the slightly annoyed youngling made Sunstreaker chuckle before he turned his attention inward.

_"Sides?" _He called over their bond.

As always the reply was quick. _"What's up, Sunny? Where'd you go? You know monitor duty is kinda boring when you're not here to pick at."_

_"I'm sure." _Sunstreaker rolled his optics. _"Tell Prowl you're done with him for this orn and meet me in the washroom."_

_"Ah do I gotta buff you _again_?"_

Sunstreaker growled internally over their link. _"Half Pint is currently purple and green so get your slaggin' aft up out of that chair and help me fragging wash him!"_

_"Oh . . . ." _Sunny could feel the amusement and humor bubbling over from his brother into his spark and rolled his optics once again at the feeling. _"Anything for Half Pint. Be there in a nano-klick."_

Sunstreaker slammed the link shut already knowing how this was going to go.

* * *

Bumblebee's laughter could be heard echoing down the black halls of the _Eternity_ along with Sunstreaker's grumbles and Sideswipe's chuckle.

It was a safe bet to say that the youngling's bath wasn't really going as planned.

"Half Pint!" Sunstreaker warned as the little yellow mech held the cup of cleaning fluid mixed with bubbles up before him grinning wickedly at Sunny. Sides was cowering behind the towel rack just off to the side already dripping and covered in bubbles from where Bee decided that it would be fun to wash the twins as well as himself.

Even if Sunstreaker was looking at him like he might scrap him if he so much as dared toss the liquid at him.

"If you so much as—"

Splash.

"AAAAHHHHH YOU LITTLE GLITCH!"

Okay so maybe that wasn't such a good idea.

Sunstreaker swung for him, but Bee had come to pride himself in being pretty fast. He scampered out of the little wash tub and was hurrying across the floor as Sunstreaker splashed faceplate first into the tub of mildly warm cleaning fluid.

"Oh pit." Sideswipe mumbled just as Bee whet scurrying out the door and Sunstreaker bellowed.

"GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE RUNT!"

"Run, Half Pint! Run!" Sides called after him doubly over with laughter as he tried to catch his brother before he went raging out there and did something stupid.

Bumblebee didn't stop to look back. He knew Sunstreaker would never hurt him, but that didn't mean he wouldn't get his little skidplate spanked pretty good so he bolted from the washrooms as fast as his clumsy little feet would carry him running to the one mech he knew would scold him for what he did, but in the end would save him from his spanking.

Optimus Prime.

Laughing his little spark out the still soaking wet and bubble covered youngling rushed down the long black halls with the sounds of Sunstreaker raging and Sideswipe trying to stop him just behind. That is until the little mech ran faceplate first into the bottom step of the flight of stairs that led up to the second floor and Optimus's office.

With a rather painful bang Bee bounced off the metal step and crashed back onto his skidplate a pained whimper escaping him. For a moment his whole world spun in a black fog before pain stung to life in his noseplate and he tasted energon. His energon.

That was when the tears started.

A small sob rocked through him as he sat up his little hand cradling his faceplate before he pulled his hand back and saw energon staining his hand. He let out another whimper. He wanted Hide, but Hide wasn't here. So he settled the other mech he loved with everything inside him.

_"OPTIMUS!" _He screamed out over his closest bonds his tears running down his cheeks as a sob rocked through not only his frame, but his spark setting everybot that was closely bonded to him into a panic. Well except Ironhide which was who he really wanted, but Ironhide was on Hot Rod's ship helping train some new recruits for a few orns. This was the one time his guardian wasn't around to stop his tears. That just made them flow faster.

_"Bumblebee!?" _Optimus' frantic voice mixed with Jazz's, and Ratchet's, and even the twins who came barreling around the corner of the hall a pained gasp leaving both of them before Bee found himself scooped up off the floor cradled to Sideswipe's red chest as the warrior tried to pry the little mech's hand off of his faceplate that was now leaking energon quite badly.

**"Where is he!?"**Optimus demanded over the private comm link that the most regular caretakers of his youngling kept open at all times for any matter that concerned Bee.

A few answer of 'haven't got a clue' could be heard before Ratchet snarled.

**"He was with the twins!" **

Sides and Sunny flinched but were still more worried about the energon rolling down Bee's faceplate.

**"Sidesw—"**

**"We got him okay. He ran off and then busted it on the steps. Ratchet get down here he's hurt." **Sunstreaker grumbled all his anger forgotten at the sight of the blue rolling down. Bee wouldn't take his hand away and Sides was afraid to hurt him so all either of them could do was stand there in the middle of the hall while Bumblebee sobbed clinging to Sideswipe's chestplates.

"Want Hide!" He cried.

"It's okay, Bee. Hide's not here, but I got ya alright." Sides tried to sooth him. Damn that stupid weapons specialist for leaving! Bee needed him and he wasn't here!

"Want Optimus!"

**"On my way." **The twins expected the words from Ratchet but they came from Prime, the leader having sensed the distress in his youngling and was already half way there when Bee's spark wailed for him again. He answered the cry with warmth and love trying to calm the little mech but he knew he wasn't going to calm down until he truly got there. If he was so upset he didn't want the twins then something really was hurting him, and the leader guessed it was more than just running into the step.

* * *

Lightly dabbing the cloth against the little mech's noseplate Optimus sighed at the tears staining his cheeks.

"Bumblebee," He started. "Promise me no more running into steps okay?"

"'Kay." The little mech sniffled.

"You're too young for a broken noseplate."

"Hurt."

"Yes. I imagine it did." Leaning back in his chair in his office the powerful red and blue commander of the Autobots readjusted the little mech in his arms as he wiped the last of the stained energon away. To say that Ratchet had been upset about the little mech's busted nose was an understatement. It had been a long time since Optimus saw the medic hit one of the twins that hard. Though he really didn't need too, the commander was pretty sure they were willing to take a beating from Ironhide for the sight of the energon rolling down Bumblebee's faceplate.

It had upset them as much as it had the youngling.

Especially when Ratchet had to fix it by snapping it back into place. Even Optimus had cringed at that. It looked like it hurt, it sounded like it hurt, and it did hurt each of them in the spark. The Prime thought Sides was gonna purge his tanks at the sight and the sound of the youngling's renewed bawling after that happened.

"Steps stupid." Bumblebee murmured as he cuddled into Optimus' chest.

The Prime chuckled. "You'll grow into them, Bee. I promise."

Sadly though, Bee wasn't so sure.

"Optimus." He lifted his baby blue optics to the commander's bright ones. He was gifted a hum in return. "Hungry."

"Alright," Reaching forward Optimus picked up the cube of blue liquid sitting on his desk and brought it to Bumblebee. The tears and pain were forgotten when the little mech snatched up the drink and went to sipping quite happily wiggling his little toes as his short antennas flicked back and forth.

Satisfied that the youngling would be alright for a breem or more the commander went back to his paperwork.

That is until one of the monitors to his left beeped to life. Glancing over he lifted the hand that wasn't cradling Bee and flicked it on. In a flurry of light Ironhide's faceplate appeared on the screen. Optimus grinned and Bee all but squealed.

"HIDE!" He dropped his half finished dinner all over Optimus' reports and flung himself toward the screen that was about twice the size of him that held the image of his laughing guardian. His little yellow hands were soon pressed against the glass along with his entire faceplate as he squished him up against the monitor grinning like a fool at his Ironhide.

"Bee," Ironhide chuckled lightly clearly pleased to see him. "How you been my youngling?"

Bee paused. Well actually he hadn't been very good, his noseplate hurt, but he wasn't all that thrilled about telling Ironhide about how he'd broken it.

He wasn't going to be happy about that.

"Bumblebee has had quite an orn." Optimus picked up the sparking data pad from his desk with a sigh before he tossed it into the trash and turned his attention to what he could see of Hide's faceplate on the screen that didn't have a youngling squished up against it.

"Oh he has?" Those dark blue optics grew a little worried. "What did he do?"

"Nothin'!" Bee insisted quickly though he was shot a glare via the picture and with a huff he fell to his little skidplate, crossed his arms, and waited for the scolding that was going to come.

"He tried to run through the stairs." Optimus answered.

"Through them?"

"Yep."

From across the video chat the weapons specialist's palm hit his forehead. "Bumblebee,"

"Steps stupid." Was all Bee mumbled.

"Are you hurt?" Hide asked looking at the little youngling sitting before his commander. When the he looked away Ironhide had his answer. "Oh, Bee."

"He broke his noseplate."

"He what!?" Hide panicked.

"It's alright, Hide." Optimus assured him. "Ratchet fixed him up."

"How hard did he hit the step!?"

"Hard."

"Primus, youngling." Ironhide groaned. "I'm gone for six orns and you _break _yourself! How did that even happen?"

"He was running from Sunstreaker."

The black mech's optics narrowed dangerously. "I'll scrap him!"

"No!" Bee yelped.

"Believe me, Hide." Optimus said. "Ratchet made his opinion very known and besides I think they were more willing to scrap themselves worse than you could when Ratchet snapped it back."

"I'm still gonna scrap him." Hide grumbled.

It was at that Bee decided to take the conversation a different route before Ironhide figured out just how he was going to scrap the golden warrior.

"Hide," He mumbled from the desk drawing his guardian's optics back to him. "When coming back?"

At the sadness swimming in those bright baby blue orbs the powerful mechs around him broke. A heavy sigh leaving both of them before Ironhide answered.

"Tomorrow," Hide told him. "I'm almost done here. I'll be back before time for you to recharge tomorrow I promise."

Bee looked away. He was still mad that Hide even left. It wasn't fair. Why couldn't he come with him? Why did he have to stay here? He loved his family, he loved being with them, but he felt cold and empty when he was alone now. A place in his spark still sore. The place Risk use to be in.

A place Hide made better.

Optimus helped too, but if the youngling was being honest with himself he needed them all. He needed to be able to feel them all. Because only all of them kept the nightmares away.

"Come on, Bee." Hide tried. "Look at me."

Obeying the little mech glanced up, but the hurt was still in his optics.

"What's wrong, Bee?" Ironhide wanted nothing more than to be able to snatch his charge up and cradle him safely to his spark. He'd come to know that look on his faceplate very well over the last few vorns. It was that look he held before he was about to cry. When he was missing Risk.

Turning his optics to his friend Optimus knew what the mech wanted and he scooped up Bumblebee pulling him to his spark reaching out to feel the bubbly warmth that lived inside his tiny frame that now was growing cold and distant. Prime knew the feeling.

He had come to know it too well and he hated it with everything that was in him.

"Want you home." Bee mumbled to Hide as he snuggled into Optimus' chest reaching back for the power that burned in the spark under his audios. He welcomed the warmth and the love as it pushed into his sadness beating it out and away from him until he was lost in a fuzzy cloud of peace that had his young processor slowing down tiredly.

"I'll be back soon, Bumblebee." Ironhide promised him his voice full of assurance.

"'Kay." The little one whispered as his optics fluttered closed and recharge pulled him into sweet nothing courtesy of the spark wrapped tightly around him keeping out the sadness with all that it had.

"Next training session you send some other fraggin' bot!" Ironhide snarled as soon as he saw that Bee was recharging.

"You're the best there is, Hide." Optimus admitted sadly. "I have no other choice."

The truth of the words stung to the big black mech and he hated that he was angry about his job and his life. He was a solider after all. That hadn't and wasn't going to change. Not anytime soon, probably not ever. He was sparked for battle. Unlike most on the Autobot lines. He had not come from Iacon or any noble city . . . he had come from much darker.

After a moment of silence the mech got to what was really bothering him. "Heard anything more?"

"No." Optimus sighed.

"Even Jazz can't decode it?"

"No."

"Damn . . . he's the best hacker in the damn universe."

"There isn't much there for him to work with."

"No, just a message sent out addressed to you from unknown origin and all that. A message with just your designation and a call for help. It's not suspicious or anything like that."

Optimus had to smile. "You never were one for blind faith, Hide."

"Blind faith?" The black mech snorted. "I smell a turbo-rat is what I say! You're worrying too much about it. It's most likely a trap."

"Ironhide, I'm not about to go gallivanting into a dead zone chasing a signal that is gone now that we couldn't name or place. I'm just curious as to what it might have been."

"Well be curios after Bee is old enough to hold up a damn cannon."

The commander's optics narrowed. "I will not risk his safety anymore than you will. We are maintaining our post. Besides my brother has been abnormally quiet lately. That is either very good or very bad."

"Ran away with his tailpipe between his legs." Ironhide snarled. "Knows what I'll do to him if I see his damn faceplate anytime soon."

"You and me both my friend." Both sets of blue optics turned down to smile at the little bundle of yellow snuggled safely to the Prime's chest.

"Is he excited?" Ironhide asked.

"About New Vorns Eve?" Optimus chuckled. "Of course he is. Hasn't stop talking about it since you left. He has made me swear multiple times that you will be back before the countdown."

"I'll be there." Ironhide smirked. "Wouldn't miss New Vorns with him for the world. Hammerdown can deal with the rookies on his own even if he's a big softy."

"Hey! I resent that!" The familiar voice of Hammerdown echoed in the background. "I am _not _a softy! These neutrals are just slaggin' glitchy! Can't blast 'em to scrap the first orns they're on the ship!"

"As said by Ratchet," Ironhide snickered. "Pain is a great teacher. Smacked over the head a couple of times and you tend to remember not to do stupid things."

"Yeah, but Hot Rod would scrap _me _for breaking the new recruits!" Suddenly the deep blue faceplate of the warrior appeared over Ironhide's shoulder. "Oh, hey Prime!"

"Hello, Hammer." Optimus chuckled.

"How is the pip squeak?"

The Prime glanced down. "Fine."

"Well good maybe old Hide here will stop taking out his frustrations on me and my recruits!"

WAM!

"OWW!"

"I am not old you _glitch!_" Hide growled out low and dangerous before he smacked the younger warrior off screen and out of his way. "Now get out of here! Go do something of some sort of importance!"

"You sound like slaggin' Ratchet!"

WAM!

"Alright, jeez I'm going! I'm going!"

With a heavy sigh the massive ebony mech turned back to the screen. "Sometimes I think I liked it better when he still hated me."

Optimus out right laughed at that. "Sure you do, Hide. Sure you do."

Ironhide laughed as well with a sort of sigh. "Yeah . . . I guess I don't. Well, I better get to finishing all this up. I'll see you tomorrow, Optimus."

"Goodnight, Ironhide." The screen flickered off and left the Prime in silence.

* * *

Baby blue optics flickered back to life.

For a moment Bumblebee took in his surroundings. He was snuggled safely on the warm blue and red chest of one of the most powerful mechs in the history of ever as far as he was concerned. Content with that realization he snuggled back down and closed his optics again more than happy to fall back into recharge safely in Optimus' berthroom. That lasted only about four nano-klicks though.

Suddenly he bolted up right with a happy little squeal his tiny yellow hands clapping together loudly. "NEW VORNS EVE!"

Optimus' bright blue optics opened slightly startled by the youngling's outburst so early in the morning only to smile broadly at the sight of the little yellow mech bouncing up and down on his chest giggling for all he was worth.

"It's New Vorns Eve!" Bee cried out happily only to squeal loudly again when he saw that Optimus was awake. Scrambling up he flung himself forward wrapping his arms as far around the Prime's neck as he could and proceeded to hold on giggling while Optimus sat up his hand cradling him carefully as the commander laughed.

"Yes, small one, it is."

Bee went back to his giggling as he maneuvered his way off the giant berth and slid down to the floor before he hurried over to the closed door looking back over his shoulder to the massive mech who had sat up to watch him.

"And where are you going?"

"Help Jacky decorate! Said I could!" Bee bounced happily on his feet. Optimus tilted his head for a moment before touching the side of his left audio as Bee bounced before his door trying to figure out how to get to the keypad lock.

**"Prime to Wheeljack."**

The open comm link that ran through the ship was silent with static for a moment before the apprehensive voice of the inventor rose up.

**"Whatever it was** **I didn't blow it up."**

**"That's a lie he probably did!"** Jazz's amused voice joined the channel.

**"Thirty credits says it was him!" **Bluestreak laughed.

**"Blue, how could you!?" **Wheeljack cried out.

**"Sorry, Jack." **But the young gunner didn't really sound all that sorry.

**"So what did you break this time, Jack?" **Ratchet sighed out tiredly.

**"I haven't done nothing! I'm stringing lights!"**

**"In his defense he kinda has been in the rec room for the whole morning. Saw him earlier." **Sideswipe's voice joined the mix.

**"Sides!" **Jazz called out. **"I was wondering why you hadn't spoken up yet. So was it you?"**

**"Did you feel anything blow up?" **Sunstreaker growled out darkly.

**"Uh . . . come to think of it no."**

**"Then how would either of the glitches have blown anything up!?"**

**"The psychopath makes a good point."** Prowl put in, his tone tired and stressed. No doubt he hadn't gotten a wink of recharge last night. Optimus could hear it in his voice.

**"Don't try and define me!" **Sunstreaker snarled back sounding like he was more than ready to peal the armor off the next thing that crossed his path.

**"Eh somebot is a little pissy this morning." **Gears laughed over the link. **"What's crawled under your armor and died, Sunstreaker?"**

**"Rust in Pit!" **

There was the sound of metal crashing on metal from somewhere in the ship making Bee perk his antennas in interest while Optimus just sighed.

**"Uh . . . not again." **Bluestreak mumbled.

**"I SWEAR TO PRIMUS IF YOU BREAK YOURSELVES OR ANOTHER MECH AGAIN I WILL WELD YOU TO THE DAMN WALL!" **Ratchet bellowed over the links and the Prime pictured him hauling aft out of medical. No doubt with a buzz saw likely in his hand. It was before first shift. The buzz saw was always the early morning weapon of choice for the CMO.

**"I'll get him." **Sideswipe breathed out tiredly on account of his brother.

**"OPTIMUS!" **Ratchet growled.

**"Yes?"**

**"Permission to bolt their afts to the damn ship wings if they so much as scratch something again?"**

**"Denied." **

**"Damn you!"**

Optimus blinked for a moment at the words before he snorted.

**"As usual my affection right back to you, Ratchet."**

**"You realize I have to go—" **

BOOM

**"I'm gonna SCRAP THEM! YOU HEAR ME!? YOU'RE BOTH SCRAP!"**

**"Oh breakfast and a show!" **Hound's voice sparkled over the link.

CRASH

**"Damn! Pit that had to hurt!" **Drift sounded as if he just watched someone's tailpipe get ripped out.

**"Why do the holidays always end up like this?" **Bluestreak sighed over the comm.

**"Because our family is dysfunctional, Blue." **Jazz laughed good naturedly.

**"Yeah, _that's_ how I'd word it." **Trailbreaker snorted.

**"Hey, we put the fun in dysfunctional mechs! Roll with it!" **Jazz offered.

**"YOU'RE BOTH SLAGGIN' SCRAP! I'M GONNA WELD YOU TO THE DAMN WALL! YOU'LL NEVER SO MUCH AS LIFT A FINGER AGAIN!"**

CRASH

BANG

BOOM

A very femme like screech.

SLAM

CLANK

**"Ah! Some mech save us! He's lost his damn mind!" **Sideswipe's voice pleaded over the airways.

**"Ha-ha Sides you squeal like a femme!" **Tracks laughed.

SLAM

CRASH

**"And now Tracks is down."** Inferno sighed.

**"Well don't just stand there you glitch pull that psycho red idiot off of him!"** Red Alert yelled.

**"Oh yeah, Red. Sure." **Inferno snorted. **"I'll jump right in between a crazed medic, the terror twins, and the fool that stood too close and laughed. Let me just go finish recording my will first."**

**"Some mech do something!" **Red Alert said.

**"I think this is a great way to start New Vorns Eve." **Blurr chuckled.

**"I'm soooooo transferring." **Bluestreak sounded down cast.

A sudden low growl rose up over the link and ever mech flinched including Optimus. He knew that growl. It was a growl worse than Ratchet when he was about to go all Medic of Doom on some pour spark. Because that was _Prowl_.

A very _annoyed_ Prowl.

Things were about to get ten times worse.

**"Kidding! Prowl, I was joking! I'm not transferring!" **Blue's timid please for mercy were only met by another crash sounding from somewhere on the lower levels making Optimus roll his optics. When was that young sniper going to learn that his mentor did not take joking well? Especially this time of vorn.

**"Oww . . . ." **Jazz sounded like he was cringing.** "Damn, Prowl went right for the door wings. That's a low blow."**

**"Remind me ****_never _****to piss off Prowl." **Blaster sounded in awe. **"He's worse than Ratchet and the twins."**

**"Mech! Even we don't touch doorwings! Well at least on friends. Okay well sometimes we do . . . I'm just gonna mute it now." **Sides commented.

**"I'm going to have to fix that too." **Ratchet sighed.

**"Fix me first, doc!" **Track's pleaded.

Another bang.

**"Well good to know Sunstreaker wasn't done." **Hound chuckled.

**"YOU GLITCHING TWO BIT PROCESSOR! POUR EXCUSE FOR A FLAKE AND RUST COVERED GOLDEN TURBO-MOUSE! STOP BREAKING MY MECHS!"**

CRASH

BANG

SMASH

BOOM

CLANK

SCREECH

WAM

**"And their off again." **Hound put in.

**"Did he really just insult the paint?" **Perceptor mumbled in horror.

**"Oh yeah, he did." **Wheeljack answered.

**"How is he still functioning?"**

**"Well it is the twins and Ratchet. They never ****_really _****break each other."**

BAM

**"Maybe I spoke too soon."**

As entertaining as it all sounded the Prime knew he was going to have to put a stop to all this before some mech was offlined. So he stood from his berth scooping up Bumblebee who had innocently been trying to get the door open while all this went on in the comm links he couldn't hear. Rolling his optics the powerful commander knew by the sounds of the clangs that Bee was now listening too with interest poking at him and asking what was wrong that the fighting was most likely outside the mess hall. He strolled down the halls as the comments continued.

**"Jeez Prowl is mad!"** Cliffjumper commented.

**"Pour Blue. He'll never joke again." **Fireflight spoke then.

**"Jazz, help the mech!" **Drift said.

**"Oh yeah, sure. I'm getting in the middle of that mentor and apprentice scuffle. Sorry mech I like my paint the way it is. Besides, Prowl won't hurt him."**

BANG

**"Maybe you and Wheeljack should just stop talking." **Kup sighed.

**"Noted." **Both mechs answered.

Optimus descended a flight of stairs with a curious youngling in his grip rounding the end of a black hall coming to find a wall of curious backs surrounding the sounds of metal crashing against metal, snarls and curses, and please of jokes and mercy.

Bumblebee's antennas folded back in anger at what his big bright optics found.

They were fighting again.

Oh pit no. Not this orn! This was New Vorns Eve! There would be no fighting on his favorite holiday!

"STOP!"

They little yellow mech yelled for all he was worth and even the air in the ship froze stiff. The wall of watching mechs stepped aside looking back with apprehension to the anger on that little faceplate. He was stiff as a pole in Optimus' arms his glaring baby blue optics burning into the forms of Ratchet who head Sideswipe in a choke hold with Sunstreaker yanking at both the medic and his brother while his foot was frozen mid air from where he had been kicking a knock cold Gears. Tracks had already managed to scramble away, not foolish enough to think he could take on Sides and Sunny though he wasn't far off. Then the glare of the little mech almost made smoke rise off Prowl's black and white paint from where he had Bluestreak pinned to the ground on his chest a hand on both doorwings while he had been pulling them sideways yelling at the pour pleading gunner about how if he ever tried to transfer off this ship he'd hunt him down and _end _him.

Now though the fighting mechs looking up in shame at the glaring optics burning into them.

"Bee," Sides mumbled through the choke hold.

"LET 'EM GO!" The youngling screamed for all he was worth his little hands waving up and down in rage as he kept repeating it. Ratchet and Prowl released their prisoners in a spark-beat, the twins recoiled, and Blue hopped to his feet edging away from his mentor. Then Bee turned his glare up to Optimus who took up a glare of his own at his troops.

"What a wonderful way to start the youngling's twelfth New Vorns Eve." He deadpanned.

Every mech in the room flinched.

"Every mech that isn't either damaged or a direct cause of this _get out of my sight_." To his credit the commander never raised his voice. He was frustrated and a little annoyed, but not really angry. Not that his soldiers needed to know that though.

Like turbo-mice when a light flips on they scattered every direction possible leaving just the mechs that had been in the middle. Bee kept on glaring while Optimus lifted an optic ridge.

"Gears started it." Sunstreaker growled with his arms crossed. Tracks went to open his mouth but the golden mech shot him a glare. "I will scrap you!"

The blue warrior decided it was best to be quiet.

Optimus' optics narrowed.

"Maybe you should mute it, bro." Sides whispered. Sunstreaker glared, but said no more.

"Ratchet, get to the med bay and fix this mess." Optimus told him.

"Yes, Prime." Ratchet knelt, swung Gears over his shoulder, grabbed Tracks by the arm hauling him to his feet with a little yelp from the warrior, motioned Bluestreak to follow him which the sniper did, and stalked back down the hall toward medical.

"Twins," Optimus leveled them in a glare. Sideswipe looked away while Sunstreaker just snarled. "I am well aware you do not care for this holiday, but you will not cause unrest on my ship. We've been over this."

"Sorry, Prime." Sides looked down then glanced up with a hiss to smack his brother who mumbled an agreement before nailing the red twin in the back of the head in return.

"Guard stations. West hanger. Double shifts."

Both warriors groaned.

"_Now_."

In two bright streaks they were gone leaving Optimus standing there with a still very annoyed youngling in his arms as he stared at his SIC who had suddenly found the floor quite interesting.

"This isn't like you." Optimus told him.

Prowl's doorwings fell from their normal ridged 'v' into a depressed slack hanging behind him twitching slightly.

"I know."

"You should know better than to think Blue would _ever_ transfer."

Prowl had no response. What he had done was irrational and afraid. There was no reason to justify his actions . . . well there was, but neither mech was going to bring it up right now.

"Your office is currently calling your name."

With a nod Prowl spun around and quietly disappeared down the hall his wings never lifting as he walked. Optimus' spark hurt at the sight. With a small shake of his head he turned to look at the corner behind him heaving out a sigh.

"You can come out now, Jazz."

A silver head with a flashing blue visor peaked out in apprehension. "He-he. Hi, Boss Bot."

"I think it's about time you did some damage control, my friend."

Jazz nodded slowly. "On it."

"When you are done Bumblebee with be with Wheeljack decorating the rec room."

Another nod.

With one last look the two mechs parted ways. One heading toward a haunting past and the other the beginnings of a bright future.

* * *

"Are you in any danger of glitching? Because if you are I'm going back to hang out with the youngling." Jazz swaggered into Prowl's office finding his best friend just where he figured he'd be. At his desk with a pile of data reports stacked to the fraggin' ceiling to hide behind. Jazz sighed at the depressing sight.

Some New Vorns Eve this was starting out to be. Lil' Bee was not going to a very happy little mech when the countdown rolled around tonight, and by default that meant when Ironhide stepped off the ground bridge and found out _he _was not going to be a happy _very big_ mech. Jazz's aft was already hurting from where he knew the WS was going to nail him.

"I will not glitch." Prowl's monotone unnerved the saboteur.

Making his way the last few feet into the room he swished all the data pads off into the floor earning a glare as he hoped up, spun around, and ended up cross-legged with a sparkling grin on his faceplate as he propped his chin on his palms and his elbows on his knees while he smiled at his best friend.

"Ya gotta loosen up a bit, Prowler."

"Would you kindly get _off _my desk?"

"Can't do it." Jazz shook his head back and forth.

"Why in Primus not?"

"Because you'll go back to work."

Rolling his optics the SIC picked up a report file from the floor, leaned back in his chair, and went back to reading it.

Jazz pouted looking very much like his dear little adopted brother in that moment. Not that the silly silver mech minded that at all.

Scooting forward to the other edge of the desk making quite a racket as he did so the silver mech ended up right in front of the white and black one before he lifted an optic ridge. "Don't make me hop in your lap, Prowler. You know I will."

Prowl looked over the top of the data pad.

Jazz wiggled his optic ridges at him with a saucy grin.

With a sigh Prowl put the report down. "Why must you call me that?"

"Call you what?"

"You know what."

"No I don't."

"Yes you do."

"Can't really recall what it is ya getting' at. Enlighten me."

Prowl pinched between his optics his doorwings tensing and twitching while he did. "Prowler, Jazz. Why must you call me Prowler? My designation is Prowl. Every other bot can use it why the pit can't you?"

"Damn, I got you to curse." Jazz whistled. "You really are off this morning aren't you?"

"Jazz," The SIC warned.

"Alright, alright." The silver mech relented. "You know why I do it."

" . . . I wish you would stop."

"Can't do it."

"Smokescreen is gone, Jazz."

"And yet you still hide from that fact."

Prowl went tense before his doorwings stood ridge behind him and his optics narrowed. "I do not hide from it."

"You might have talked to Hammer, you might be okay with the fact that Smokey is gone, but yes Prowl you _do _hide from it. I'm not the only one that knows it too. You hide from the fact that it still hurts that he is gone. That you couldn't get him to listen to save his own protoform. You blame yourself and you're angry with him. Though you still hide from all that. You bury it just like you do every other fraggin' thing. Behind reports and work and the fact that you wanna be too busy to even remember his name."

Prowl looked away.

"That's why I call you what he use to call you, Prowl. One because I love ya mech you're my best friend, but more so because he loved you. He loved you every time he called you that, and you can't hide from the name. You can't hide from his memory."

"He didn't come back."

The words made Jazz recoil slightly before his visor dimmed.

"He never came home." Prowl's hand on the data pad shook a little. "They always came home. No matter what stupid stunt they pulled the three of them _always_ came _home_. That time though his recklessness caught up with him. He made me a promise and he broke it. Just like I did."

"You didn't break your word, Prowl."

"But I did." The black and white mech lifted his tormented gaze. "I did. So, _so_, many times."

A soft knock on the office door cut off what Jazz was about to say because with a swish the tentative grey faceplate of Bluestreak met the two mechs. His light blue optics were downcast and worried, though when he saw Jazz was there they widened slightly and he took a step back.

"Oh . . . I'll come back later." Turning the normally talkative young mech just muttered under his breath before Prowl called out and stopped him.

"No, Blue. Come back."

Glancing over his shoulder Blue looked more like the young refugee that Prowl had helped pull out of Praxus all those vorns ago then he had in a very long time. The sight made the emotionless mask of the tactician shatter.

He'd done that.

He made the happy-go-lucky gabber jaw look like he'd run over a sparkling turbofox. Primus he hated himself right now.

"I'm not gonna transfer, Prowl. I would never transfer. I was just joking. You really don't think I would do that do you? I mean I owe you everything. I could never leave. This is my family. My home. I wouldn't leave, Bee. I wouldn't leave you. I couldn't. I just couldn't. I know I shouldn't joke about that. Not to you. I just didn't think it would upset you. I'm sor—"

"Enough, Bluestreak." Prowl cut him off. "I'm the one who is sorry. It wasn't you I was angry with and it was wrong to take it out on you."

Blue paused looking slightly confused before Jazz shot him a sad look. Then the sniper understood.

Smokescreen.

This was about Smokescreen.

* * *

_Prowl strolled into his and his brother's apartment over the sky rise of Iacon to find the young mech cross-legged on a chair in the living room with a rather large data pad before him as he scribbled away at something. Locking the door behind him Prowl crossed the distance to his younger sibling and looked over his shoulder._

_"Hi-ya, Prowler." Smokey glanced up with his trademark grin. "Look at me. I'm doing homework and you didn't even tell me too!"_

_Prowl offered the youngling of around the age equivalent of a human thirteen year old a small smile before he went to the tanks and grabbed a cube of energon for them both as he came to sit across from the vibrant white, red, and blue youngling who was absentmindedly playing with his red chevron as he worked his entry level class assignment. The young mech was shooting for a chance to get into Basic Training for the Elite Guard—something Prowl wasn't all that happy about—but he'd have to pass quite a few vorns of classes first to get there. _

_This was the one time in his life that Prowl secretly hoped his brother would get bored and give up. He didn't want Smokescreen to become a soldier. _

_The war was over. He didn't have to be._

_Letting out a tired sigh the normally strict and rule set mech reached out and took his brother's homework from him. Smokescreen looked up in surprise before his bright blue optics narrowed._

_"What's wrong, Prowler?"_

_"Smokescreen, I have to talk to you." _

_The tri-tone mech lifted an optic ridge. "'bout what?"_

_Well there was no point in beating around the bush about things so the white and black mech just came out and said it._

_"I'm being transferred." _

_The youngling's optics went wide, his jaw went a little slack, and he just sat there dumbly before his older brother staring at him._

_Prowl's spark sank. "It's only for a few Decacycles, Smokey."_

_"You promised." Those bright blue optics narrowed back into slits._

_"Smokescreen—" _

_The younger mech sprang to his feet. "You promised! You promised we were going to be here for a while this time! You said we were going to stay! I like this apartment! Hammer and Rider are just a few floors down! I don't have to get up and drive two breams to school every morning. I don't have to make an appointment to see my best friends! I actually get to see you every orn! We're happy here! Damn it, Prowl! New Vorns Eve is in three orns! We're on holiday! I actually can go have some fun! Why do you want to move again!?"_

_"I don't _want _to move, Smokescreen. It is not a choice. It is orders. Sentinel is sending me to Tyger Pax for a Decacycle or two and then I am coming back."_

_"What do you mean just you?" _

_"I mean you are not coming this time. It's not a long enough time to move you as well. That is not logical. You will stay here with Ironhide and Chromia. They have kindly agreed to keeping an optic on you for a little—" _

_"No!" Smokescreen cut him off with a snarl making Prowl look up. "You're not leaving me here! I go where you go!"_

_"I will be back before long."_

_"Damn it! Prowl you promised! It's almost New Vorns. You said you won't work through this one!"_

_Prowl's spark was on the floor. "I know and I am sorry. I tried to get it postponed, but Smokescreen . . . I'm an Elite Guard it is my duty."_

_"Duty!?" The young mech growled. "Duty! Your duty is to your family! To me! We're all each other has left, Prowler! And you promised you were gonna stop working your damn life away! Hide and Optimus are Guard! Jazz and Ratchet are! They don't work near as much as you do!"_

_"They are not me."_

_"I don't give a damn! Optimus is in line for the fraggin' thrown! And even he gets to chill every once and a while!" The young mech latched onto his chevron and pulled in frustration as he marched to the door._

_"Where are you going?!"_

_"To Riders! I don't want to talk to you right now you're too fragging irritating! You live by so much damn logic that you can't even see reason! Go to Tyger Pax for New Vorns for all I care! I'll be fine without you!"_

_The door slammed behind him leaving Prowl sitting there alone knowing and hating that he truly was working his little brother's life away._

* * *

_"I'm transferring."_

_Prowl looked up in surprise from behind his desk to find the frame of his younger brother leaning in his office doorway._

_"Excuse me?"_

_"I'm transferring classes." Smokescreen repeated as he twirled a metal rod between his fingers._

_Prowl blinked. "To where?"_

_"Crystal City. For a few Decacycles to do some battle tactics training. It's a privilege that I got picked among my classmates."_

_"New Vorns Even is in a few orns." Prowl pointed out dumbly._

_"Yep, it is." Smokescreen nodded._

_"You . . . we were all getting together at Ratchet's for the countdown. I took off."_

_The youngling of almost equivalent to a human eighteen year old shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time we haven't spent it together."_

_Prowl's spark ached. "Smokey . . . ."_

_"Rider and Hammer are going too. So you don't have to worry about me. I'll be fine. I'll be back soon. Of course you'll be back to work. Like now. Just like you always are. No matter though. It'll be fine. If I pass this assessment I'm almost guaranteed a spot in Basic Training. This is a wonderful opportunity, Prowler. I'm making the logical choice. It's just a holiday. There will be more." _

_Prowl was silent. _

_"So I'm going back to the new apartment to pack my stuff. Then I'm heading downtown to Rider and Hammer's. I won't be home for dinner. Not logical to drive all the way back when I have to get on the transport at dawn tomorrow. So love ya, Prowler. I'll see you around."_

_With that the tri-tone mech waved his farewell and walked down the hall the closing door hiding him from his brother's saddened optics. _

_He'd had that coming. Prowl knew he did. He just didn't think it would hurt this much._

* * *

_"Prowler!" Smokescreen swung down from the railing up stairs and landed on the couch next to his brother with a gleeful grin. The movement swished the two-tone mech's energon drink almost making him spill it all over Elita's couch._

_"Smokescreen, aren't you a little old to be jumping on the furniture?"_

_"Uh—" At that moment Rider and Hammer decided to fall over the other couch across the room in a wrestling match making little Whiteout bounce with glee in Chromia's arms and Ironhide growl then march over to pull them apart. "No I don't think we are."_

_"I'm sure." Prowl rolled his optics though he found it quite entertaining when the two bulky younglings decided to team up on Hide and pin him to the floor calling Smokey to join in which he did pulling Jazz along with him and soon the middle of Optimus' living room was a squirming mass of wiggling metal as the younglings and Jazz tired to keep a snarling Ironhide on the ground while Chromia cheered them on as her son giggled._

_"Get 'em, Rider!"_

_"Yes ma'am!" The red mech called. _

_"Mia!" Hide growled. "You traitor!" Whiteout giggled. "Same to you ya little glitch!"_

_At that point Elita and Arcee were falling over each other laughing while Optimus and Ratchet tired to contain their own amusement as Jazz sprang off the wall and body slammed all three young mechs and Hide as well._

_"JAZZ!" They all yelped then turned on the sliver mech who was much too fast for all but Smokescreen who snatched him by the heels on the second lap around the room and they both went crashing into the adjacent dining room._

_"Oh there went the good chairs." Elita snickered._

_Prowl sighed rubbing between his optics. "I'll pay for that."_

_"No, Prowl." 'Lita smiled. "I think I'll make Jazz do it."_

_"They _were_ gifts from Carrier and all." Arcee agreed._

_"She would have approved." Chromia laughed cradling her sparkling. "What better way to spend the last few breams before the countdown then with family trying to scrap each other?"_

_"I can think of a few." Ratchet snorted. "I'm the one that's gonna have to fix these nuts."_

_"I'll help, Ratch." Arcee giggled. _

_Ironhide pushed himself up off the floor glaring at the two younglings rolling around laughing beside him. "What did you two buzz your energon with?"_

_"Who knows?" Rider snickered with glee as he shoved himself up hauling Hammer after him to help Smokey beat Jazz over the head with a rolled up rug._

_Prowl leaned forward on the couch watching with a smile as his younger brother and other two he considered brothers smacked his best friend over and over again with a fluffy rug while he tried to escape their grasp laughing his aft off the whole time. The couples and Prowl observed the chaos for a while before Elita glanced to the TV across the room._

_"Mechs the countdown is about the start."_

_The four sprang apart faster than lightening and were suddenly all grinning sitting on the floor before the screen._

_"Jazz, you do remember you are grown mech right?" Prowl asked him._

_"Not on New Vorns Eve I ain't!" He answered before the three younglings took up chanting. _

_"10, 9, 8, 7—" _

_They all joined in._

_"—6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! HAPPY NEW VORN!" The trio sprang from their spots and proceed to dance around the room while Jazz sprang up as well falling on the couch beside Ratchet, snatched his energon, chugged it, then went to partying with the younglings. The femmes were dying of laugher, along with Ironhide and Optimus, as Ratchet cursed the silver mech to the pit and back. Prowl took the moment to memorize the whole picture as he quietly sipped his energon before slipping out onto the back patio without being noticed._

_Or so he thought._

_He stayed out there for a long while watching Iacon celebrate below him before his doorwing twitched and he sensed more then heard his younger brother slide up beside him. Smokey grinned through the cold night air coming up to lean metal on metal with his older brother their doorwings slightly touching each others' as they stared out in silence. _

_"Happy New Vorn, Smokey." Prowl spoke up after a moment. _

_"Right back at ya, Prowler." The youngling nudged him. "Got a resolution?" _

_Prowl snorted. "I do not make such things. No bot every keeps them. So they are illogical."_

_"Ah, Prowler. That's why they're fun! You make one and then you get to enjoy not keeping it."_

_"That makes a lot of sense." He laughed sarcastically. _

_"Okay fine. I'll make one for you!" Staring off into the distance again seeming to think it over really hard he suddenly spun back with a smile. "I got one! Your New Vorns resolution will be to work less!"_

_Prowl actually let out a long happy laugh making Smokescreen grin like a fool._

_"See now you can break it and it will be fun."_

_The two-tone mech just snickered off into silence before he nudged his doorwing against his brothers. "Alright, Smokey. For you that will be my resolution, and I will attempt to keep it."_

_Smokescreen snorted playfully. "Sure you will."_

_They fell into quiet again before Smokescreen leaned over the rail a little ways looking down at the city with a grin. "I love New Vorns, Prowler. It's the best holiday. So much promise and brand new chances! Don't you like it?"_

_"It's a fine holiday." Prowl shrugged._

_Smokey rolled his optics. "Careful, your enthusiasm might be contagious." _

_Prowl snorted while his brother laughed again. _

_"I enjoy it so much more when we are together." Prowl admitted honestly. _

_Smokey turned to him quickly with a beaming smile. "Me too, bro. Me too."_

* * *

_Praxus was lost._

_Prowl's spark ache. _

_His youngling home was gone and there was nothing he could do to bring it back. . . just like everything else._

_"Prowler?" The two-tone mech looked over his shoulder to find Jazz standing at his side. "Alright, mech?"_

_He didn't answer. _

_Instead he continued to watch Ratchet finish patching up the stasis locked young mech laying on a berth in the medical bay along with the few other dozen survivors. Arms crossed and optics narrow Prowl refused to move an inch until the medic had finished and came to stalk across the bay with a wrench raised._

_"I told you to get out!"_

_"Will he survive?" Prowl responded._

_Ratchet let out an annoyed yet understanding growl. He knew why the mech wouldn't leave the young mech. He'd pulled him out of a burning building, he felt reasonable, but it was more than that. Both Ratchet and Jazz could see it. The pain and recognition floating in those calculating optics. He was thinking of Smokescreen when he looked at that young mech just old enough to be considered grown—the equivalent of twenty-two human years of age—and he was thinking of how he couldn't keep his youngling brother alive, but both mechs knew that this time Prowl was pit bent. That young mech reminded him of all he lost and he was going to protect him. _

_More than that though. _

_The young mech fell into stasis in the middle of a dying city and he was going to wake up on the side of a fraction of a war. He was going to need a teacher—a mentor—or he'd never make it out of the medical bay before something snuffed him out._

_Prowl wasn't going to lose another might-as-well-be youngling._

_"He'll be fine." Ratchet huffed crossing his arms. "Which is more than I can say for most of them all. He's no soldier though."_

_"He'll learn." Jazz sighed. "It's learn or die. Megatron has proved what he thought of neutrals." _

_"I will teach him." Both the medic and the saboteur looked to the tactician. _

_"You sure, Prowler?"_

_"Don't call me that." Prowl shot Jazz a glare. "And yes."_

_"So be it then." Ratchet waved him off before he stalked back across the bay and went back to fixing more broken then he knew he'd ever be able to save._

_Breems latter Prowl was sitting in the quiet corner of the medical bay holding vigil over the stasis locked young mech as he typed some reports only to be brought out of his past musing to find a bright pair of blue optics staring up at him._

_He sat up straighter blinking back at the slightly scared orbs. _

_"You're an Autobot?" The young mech whispered._

_"Yes."_

_"That means I'm with them doesn't it? Because I doubt a 'Con would bother to even fix me. I mean I don't know maybe. Though they did just kill everything around me. I don't really think—" _

_Prowl cut him off. "What is your designation?"_

_The young grey mech seemed surprised before he smiled. "Bluestreak."_

_"I am Prowl. SIC and tactician of the Autobots."_

_"Nice to meet you." Bluestreak lifted a slightly shaky hand and offered it up to the older mech who stared at him for a moment before he took the hand and shook. "I got a feelin' we're going to be great friends. You seem like a nice mech. I tend to annoy mechs 'cuz I never shut my vocal processor off, but I do try. I just talk a lot. Always have."_

_For another few breems Prowl sat at the berth side listening to the young mech talk hiding his secret smile for how much he reminded him of the little brother he'd lost not too long ago. He only put in where need be and by the end of the night the SIC had made a decision he thought he'd never do again. _

_He was going to teach this mech. He was going to look out for him. This vibrant young spark wasn't going to burn out like Smokey. This one he was going to find a way to make sure survived this war. If for no other reasons than because this Bluestreak deserved a chance, and Prowl deserved a second chance. A chance to make up for his mistake . . . a chance to get Smokey to forgive him for failing . . . wherever his little brother's spark was now. _

_After all it was New Vorns Eve. _

_The orn of second chances._

* * *

"I get it, Prowl." Bluestreak's sad smile pulled the white and black mech from his past making him glance up again at the vibrant young sniper he'd taught to survive. "No apology needed. I just wanted you to know I'm not going anywhere."

"I know, Blue." He sighed. "And I'm sorry it's just . . . ."

"New Vorns makes you think of Smokescreen. I know, Prowl." Blue offered. "That's not a bad thing you know?"

The young sniper had heard the whole story a very long time ago. When he'd been sitting in the mech's office one orn playing with his rifle when he asked why Prowl had taken him under his wing and looked after him. He'd got the truth that orn. About Smokescreen, Outrider, Hammerdown, and all of it. It was a story that made the young sniper's spark ache for his mentor and by the end of it Bluestreak promised that he was never going anywhere. That this was his home and he was sticking around. No matter what.

"It is when I take my anger out on you, Blue."

Bluestreak waved him off with a laugh. "Oh its fine. Just teach me to leave the joking to the twins. Besides what's a holiday without a few fist fights, right? We're on a battleship for crying out loud. Mechs punch each other. It's how we say 'I love you buddy, don't ever leave'. Nothing wrong with that."

By the end of his rambling Jazz was laughing while Prowl sat back quietly smiling at the young mech thanking Primus for the mech that pointed him back on the right path all those vorns ago. The only reason he had it in his spark to take Bee in like every other mech had done. Both Bluestreak and Bumblebee were two of the best gifts he'd ever been given.

* * *

"I hate this fraggin' orn." Sunstreaker snarled into the mid-orn air his dark blue optics narrow.

"You and me both, bro." Sideswipe hissed as he checked his internal clock. "Only a few more klicks though and then we can get the slag out of this fraggin' hanger."

"Sideswipe!" Both twins turned from their post to find Drift walking across the hanger toward them.

"What?" Sides turned with a roll of his optics.

"Optimus says you two are done, but I need your help mech."

"With that?" Sides asked with a grumble as he and his brother climbed down from their post. Sunstreaker didn't stop at his brother's side though. He glared at the white and red warrior who had walked up before he shoved his way past and headed toward the peace and quiet of his berthroom where he didn't have to remember what fraggin' orn it was.

Drift watched the golden warrior leave before he turned back to the nicer twin who was sighing as he watched him leave.

"Did I do something?" Drifted asked.

Sideswipe shot him a glare. "We hate this orn. Sorry, Drift we just do. It's not you it's us."

The two-tone mech knew better than to ask why. "None of my business. Though I do admit Gears had it coming."

"He always has it coming."

"True." Drift chuckled. "Anyway, wanna help me and Blaster set up the sound system for the party tonight?"

Sideswipe's optics grew a little lighter at the way the mech wiggled his optic ridges. The warrior mech was up to something. He might not like New Vorns or New Vorns Eve, but he was always one to burying his pain in anything that would distract him. Any prank or game that would make him forget the haunting sights and sounds in his processor. Besides, Sunstreaker was going to be a walking ball of tension that would snap at every mech until the next two orns were over. He'd have to be the one that kept every mech off their scent and make sure Bumblebee didn't start asking questions he didn't need to be asking.

Might as well help Drift do whatever he was planning. It would distract him and keep optics off his brother. It might prove fun.

"I'm in."

* * *

Sunstreaker was propped up on his couch with his optics closed and his faceplate set in a scowl.

He was dead set on getting a bit of rest before his stupid little brother decided to prank some bot or before Prowl decided he needed another shift to go along with the already bustling atmosphere of the battleship at the moment just because the golden warrior wanted no part of it.

New Vorns Eve and New Vorns Orn.

Bah. He hated them both.

A sudden giggle made the warrior's scowl twitch, but he refused to open his optics. The little twerp was supposed to be with Jazz since Wheeljack nearly blew up the lights they had been stringing a breem ago and as much as he loved him the mech just wasn't in the mood for his bubbly spark at the moment.

The pitter-patter of little feet seemed to say that Primus had other notions though.

"Sunny!" The arm resting over his faceplate shifted slightly as he huffed, but the warrior didn't move.

How did he get in his and Sides' room anyway?

Didn't he locked the door?

"Sunny, wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"

"Go away, Half Pint."

Bee blinked in surprise at being told to leave one of his favorite mechs in the whole wide world alone. What was Sunny's problem?

"Sunny," Bee tired a little bit more quiet this time as he wiggled his way onto the couch and climbed up over the golden warrior's frame. Sunstreaker grumbled in protest, but did nothing to stop him as he climbed until he was sitting dead center of his chest right over the powerful spark that hammered inside.

When the mech didn't answer Bee leaned forward until he was hovering over his covered faceplate. Looking him over he studied the ruggedly handsome, stern faceplate of the golden warrior before he noticed the deep scowl and the tension built up in the corners of his closed optics that made him flinch away slightly. Bee didn't like the look one little bit.

It was New Vorns Eve. Why in the name of happy holidays was Sunstreaker mad now?

It had been half an orn.

He should be over that little scuffle in the hall.

Bee was over it.

So that meant every other bot was supposed to be too.

Scrambling forward a little bit the tiny mech leaned over the golden audio receptor at the side of the mech's head and whispered.

"Sunny, what wrong?"

Sunstreaker snorted at the quiet voice in his audio, but instead of the instinctual yell that rose up in his vocal processor he just lifted his other hand and patted the youngling between his flickering antennas without opening his optics.

"I'm tired, Half Pint. Go play with Jazz."

"Jazz losing." Was the only answer the twin got. His scowl deepened in confusion as he tried to figure out what in Pit the little mech was talking about before it clicked and he lifted his arm uncovering his now stern optics.

"You're playing hide and seek again aren't you?" Sunstreaker lifted an optic ridge.

Bee giggled guilty under his breath before leaning into the hand that was still resting on top of his head giving the warrior his best innocent stare.

It didn't work.

"Bumblebee." He warned sitting up with his tired hydraulics hissing in protest. "Did you sneak off _again_?"

"Jazz said could play." Bee huffed crossing his arms over his chest glaring down at the scars on the mech's chest where he sat.

"Did he actually say that or did you just assume he said that and snuck off again?"

His antennas folded down in guilt.

"Oh, Half Pint." Sunstreaker rolled his optics before touching the side of his head opening up a private comm. **"Jazz?"**

**"Sunstreaker!" **The silver saboteur sounded like he was running around in circles chasing his own tailpipe making the warrior roll his optics again. **"Hey, Sunny. Good of you to call. By any chance have you seen Lil' Bee?"**

**"Isn't he supposed to be with you for the next three joors?" **Sunny baited as he watched the youngling trace the scars over his spark.

**"Uh yeah . . . about that . . . I seem to have maybe misplaced him."**

**"You misplaced the youngling?" **He let his tone darken in pay back for his nap being interrupted by the misplaced item.

**"He's a sneaky little son-of-a-glitch!" **

**"Gonna best you in the field one orn."**

**"If it keeps him alive so be it." **Jazz mumbled. **"I won't complain. Just have you seen him or not?"**

**"Yeah, I've seen him."**

**"Oh thank Primus. Where is he?"**

**"With me. Where are you? I'll bring him."**

**"South hanger. That's the last place he hid when he vanished last time. I thought I'd start there."**

**"Never look in the same place twice." **Sunstreaker actually had to snort at that notion. **"He never hides in the same place twice."**

**"Yeah, but sooner or later he has got to run out of hiding places!"**

**"Are we even talking about the same youngling here?" **

**"Good point."**

**"Stay down there and look busy I'll bring him. If you get caught losing him again Prowl's gonna toss you in the brig after his mood this morning."**

**"Yeeeeaaaaaaah." **Jazz drawled. **"Nice of you to care though."**

**"Don't think this will become a regular thing. If Sides wasn't off doing who knows what I'd make him do it."**

**"Ha-ha. Hasn't Sides pulled enough pranks lately. Two orns ago he filled the energon tanks in the mess hall with high grade."**

**"Dumb aft."**

**"I thought it was hilarious."**

**"A drunken Wheeljack is not hilarious. The glitch scorched my paint with that damn ray gun!"**

**"That was what was hilarious." **Jazz's laughter could be heard over the comm making Sunstreaker narrow his gaze at nothing while he flung himself off the couch cradling a surprised youngling to his chest as he headed away from his peace and quiet.

**"Sure. Real funny. You know Prime's office is closer than the hanger. I could just drop Bee off with Optimus. I'm sure he'd ****_love _****to have his last klick reports interrupted by a youngling that gave the best saboteur in the galaxy the slip. Again. Than I could get back to my nap." **

The other end of the link was silent with static for a few moments as Sunny walked only to have Jazz's hurried reply buzz to life.

**"No! No! It was awful! Completely awful! You know I even fell bad for laughing about it now. How about the next time we make port I'll buy you a new can of wax to make up for it?"**

**"Two and some fresh finish." **

Jazz paused. **"Just the finish."**

Sunny rounded a corner. **"Oh look Prime's office."**

**"Okay! Okay! Two of each! Damn you to pit!"**

**"See you there ya glitchy ninja. Pleasure doing business with you."**

**"I hope you rust."**

**"I hope your sound system magically vanishes in the night."**

**"You wouldn't dare."**

**"I am the twin of Sideswipe."**

**"Slag . . . I'll make it three of each if you just bring him down here and then go back to your sulking."**

**"Done."**

Laughing quietly to himself he shut off the comm before glancing down at Bee who was staring up at him with big bright happy optics.

"Hi, Sunny." He grinned.

Sunstreaker snorted as he looked back to the path before him. "Hello, Half Pint."

"Sorry. Didn't mean make mad."

"I'm not mad at you, Half Pint."

"Than what matter?"

The golden twin caught sight of Hound and Cliffjumper laughing away down the hall as he walked by talking about what gifts they were giving and how excited they were for New Vorns Orn. Sunstreaker cringed but kept walking.

"Nothing is the matter."

Bee narrowed his optics.

As if he believed that. Why was Sunny lying to him? Was he really that mad that he'd snuck off from again?

"Sorry snuck away." Bee whispered.

"Well you really do need to stop doing that. It upsets Ironhide and Optimus."

"'Kay." Bee nodded.

They walked on in silence after that as Sunstreaker walked the back halls to keep optics off Bee as he headed toward Jazz until he felt Bee's spark pull curiously at him with a whimper type prodding. However, for the first time since he'd meet the brilliant little youngling Sunstreaker didn't answer. He simply closed off his spark with a mile high wall of brick and barbwire. This was one time the Half Pint couldn't get in. There was nothing he could do to help, and he was far too young to ever understand even if Sunstreaker did know how to talk about it.

When he was shoved away from the strong spark of the powerful warrior Bee let out an unhappy whine of misunderstanding, but Sunny didn't seem to care and with a pout setting in on his lips Bumblebee crossed his short arms over his thin chest and proceeded to pout for the rest of the way to Jazz.

* * *

"You are a troublesome little thing you know that, Lil' Bee?" Jazz was held up in his room watching Bumblebee roll around his floor with his new giant squishy ball.

"Not trouble." Bee snapped as he rolled into the leg of Jazz's desk only to break down into laughter.

"Ya are too." Jazz chuckled as he stuck out his leg to roll the ball again sending Bee giggling across the floor.

"Not!"

"Are too." Jazz pushed himself up only to sit down in the floor and let the youngling roll over on his ball before he hopped away and scampered up into the silver mech's lab and began to rumble a purr as Jazz pet him between the antennas. Snuggling against his Jazzy's mid section Bee allowed himself to be held and pet before a pout returned and he let out a quiet whimper as he snuggled deeper.

Jazz leaned away from his favorite little buddy lifting an optic ridge in question before he reached out with his spark trying to discover what was wrong. He was met by a ball of worry curled tight around the bubbly happiness that should be in the youngling's spark and the silver mech quickly scooped him up moving to sit on his berth so he talk with him better.

"What's wrong, Lil' Bee? You know I didn't mean you were troublesome. I was just messing with you."

"Jazzy . . . ." Bee whispered. "What wrong with Sunny?"

Jazz blinked for a moment trying to figure out what the youngling was getting at before it occurred to him. Letting out a quiet hiss he hopped the yellow mech couldn't hear as he felt like running down to the twins room and beating either of them in the head with a stick.

Letting their hatred bleed into the youngling's happiness.

Selfish bastards!

This was New Vorns Eve. He was supposed to be happy. Getting ready for the party that the mechs were throwing tonight to bring in the new vorn with presents, energon, laughter, and one night a vorn when the war could be forgotten for a little while and the gift of surviving to see another vorn could be shared among the ranks. This was also the first New Vorns Orn that Bee was actually old enough to kind of understand what it was. He knew what it meant—sort of—but really all that concerned the little mech was that his family would all get together, there was no fighting, there was presents, and everybot was happy.

Most of the time.

Though as Bee sat there and thought about it he realized something about the last New Vorns Eves and Orns that he could remember.

Sunny and Sides had never seemed all that happy to be a part of them.

It had never accrued to him before, but now it hit him like a hand to his cheek.

Why didn't they like it?

Wasn't it supposed to be happy? They were all alive. All together. Every other bot liked it. They liked to share it with him and shower him with gifts and attention. He thought it was a wonderful time of vorn. So why didn't his beloved twins like it?

"Sunstreaker and Sideswipe just get kind of bitter this time of vorn, Bee." Jazz tried to explain desperately grasping for some kind of excuse. It wasn't his place to tell him the real reason. Which he knew. That was the only thing that kept him from stalking up to them and decking them between the optics.

They had good reason to hate the holiday. New Vorns had been one of the worse possible times to be in the Rings, and it was something the pair lived through again and again. That was the only reason for all these vorns they had been allowed to be as snippy as they could get. Now however, it was affecting Bumblebee, and that couldn't be tolerated.

Hide and Optimus were not going to be happy. Really not after this morning. Bee had been furious this morning and that meant both the commander and the WS weren't all that please either. Even if Hide wasn't back yet. Jazz knew he was going to hit something when he found out how Bumblebee's twelfth New Vorns Eve started. Especially if the twins' depression rubbed off. The massive ebony mech would deck them. Not to mention Ratchet was probably going to throw something rather large at them.

Wait a klick!

Jumping to his feet Jazz kept Bee hugged tight to his chest as he set out for the medical bay. If there was one mech that could make Bee understand or maybe make the twins see what they were doing it was that cranky medic.

"Why they not like it?" Bee questioned as Jazz hurried. "And where we going?"

"We're going to see, Ratchet." Jazz answered part of the question.

"Why?"

"Cuz"

"But why?"

"You'll see when we get there, Lil' Bee." Jazz bounced him in his arms with a force smile and what he hopped was reassurance in his optics.

Bee wasn't convinced, but he decided that he'd wait and find out what Jazzy was up too. If he found out how to make his beloved twins feel better than he would wait.

Not four kicks later the doors to the medical bay swished open making Ratchet glance up from his project. His optics widened slightly at the sight of Jazz hurrying with a rather put out Bumblebee held to his chest.

What had happened now?

"Hey, Ratch." Jazz greeted as he walked in coming to stop on the other side of the medic's desk. He sat Bee down with a plop and the youngling smiled up at Ratchet with a slightly forced grin.

Ratchet's optics narrowed. "What did you do now, Jazz?"

"Me? Nothin'."

"Yeah as if." Quickly scanning Bee he received a small giggle at the tingling sensation. Once he was one hundred and fifty percent sure nothing was wrong with him he looked to Jazz for an explanation. "I'm busy. What do you want?"

"I need your help."

"With wh—"

"What wrong with Sunny and Sides?"

Ratchet cringed, but quickly covered it up with a cough to clear his vocal processor.

_So he noticed._ Well it was bound to happen sooner or later. The little youngling was clever and with all the cheer and merriment that was floating around he was going to notice the two black rain clouds floating around the sunshine eventually.

The medic had just hopped it would be a few more vorns before that happened. At least maybe when he was old enough to understand.

Casting a look to Jazz he opened a comm link.

**"What the pit!?" **He hissed.

**"He's smart it's not my fault, and I didn't know how to explain it so I brought him down here."**

**"And once again I'm left to clean up after those two fools."**

**"Well they trust you." **Jazz shrugged.

**"It's time they moved on." **He snarled mentally.

Jazz had no response to that so he simply lowered his optics letting Bee play with his fingers.

Sighing Ratchet turned his focus to Bumblebee. "Jazz why don't you go help Hound and Trailbreaker set up the rec room for tonight? I'll watch Bee for a while."

"Can do medic." Jazz saluted before giving Bee a loving pat than spun away and practically skipped out of the medical bay without looking back.

For a moment Ratchet and Bumblebee stared at each other in silence before Bee lifted his hands and wiggled his fingers. With another sigh the red and yellow medic sat down his tools and plucked the youngling from the table bringing him to rest in the nook of his arm as he went about cleaning up some scattered data pads and tools.

"They mad at me?" Bee asked as his little fingers played with a scrape in Ratchet's paint.

"No Squirt they aren't mad at you." Ratchet assured him.

"Than what wrong?"

"They don't like New Vorns." He bluntly stated.

Just as he figured the youngling flinched. "But why?"

"That is something only they can tell you, Bumblebee."

Bee chewed on his lip for a moment before he mumbled. "Not gonna tell are they?"

"Most likely not. You're still too young."

"Am not." Bee pouted with crossed arms.

Ratchet chuckled at that. "I'm sorry to burst your bubble Squirt but you are."

"Not sparkling!" He snapped.

"But you are a youngling." Ratchet told him. "And that means for some things you are simply still too young to fully understand."

"'Bout the scars ain't it?"

Ratchet froze in shock.

Like his whole frame seized up kind of shock.

For a nano-klick his processor sparked and he thought he just might glitch, but before it happened he snapped onto his own thoughts forcing himself to take a breath and get a grip on his own emotions. Those two lunatics would never let him live it down if they found out he glitched.

Slowly getting a grip he turned his focus to the youngling.

"What?"

"They not like New Vorns. Cuz of scars?"

Ratchet just stared. _How could he possibly know that?_

"Seen 'em before." Bee seemed to see that Ratchet was totally lost. So he tried to explain.

"What do you mean you've _seen _them before!?"

Bee flinched ever so slightly. "Uh . . . think so."

Ratchet blinked in absolute confusion.

Bee looked down playing with his fingers and whispered out. "Bad place. Remember some things."

Ratchet's spark stilled in his chest. It couldn't be. It just couldn't! _Oh Pit . . . please no._

* * *

**Anybody else just love stressed out Prowl? I don't know what it is about that mech but I just love messing with him. He's almost as much fun as the twins. Almost.**

**Not really his style to throw a hissy fit, but he has his reasons. Poor Bluestreak though, he really will never joke again. **

**So, what did you guys think of the longest chapter as of yet? Was it a satisfying start to part three? I'll admit it took me a little while to get it flowing the way I wanted it too, maybe that is why it is so freaking long, but I am happy with how it turned out and I doubt you guys are complaining. There is a lot of stuff thrown in there that is important that you guys catch. I'm curious to see who picks up on it. Hee-hee this might prove to be my favorite part of all this. What I've got planed for this section . . . well it's gonna be a wild ride. I've waited since the very beginning to get too some of the stuff that's going to happen now! I can't wait until we get there! **

**As for now though. What could little Bee possibly mean by he's seen the twins' scars before? **

**What is going to happen now that he's let that little bit of info out? **

**And what were Hide and Optimus talking about messages that can't be decoded? Wonder what that could mean?**

**Most all will be reveled in the next chapter because coming up we've got Ironhide back from Hot Rod's, the twins spilling their sparks, and the over all adorableness that is youngling Bumblebee. **

**Hee-hee All Roads Lead Home  is going to be so much fun!**

**Please read and review! You guys know you keep me going and I'm dying to hear what you think of where we're headed! **

**Next chapter will be up next Saturday if all goes according to plan.**

**Chat with ya later!**

**-Jay**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers blah, blah, blah. Just the plot and OCs are mine.**

**To start things off. Those of you who reviewed; you are amazing! Thank you!**

**Okay so its taken two whole parts, but here is the moment I know at least some of you have been waiting for. The twins' past and a little sneak peak of Bee's! **

**Enjoy! **

* * *

Chapter 2

Ironhide stepped out of the glittering green lights to find himself standing in the chaotic mess that was Wheeljack's lab. Rolling his shoulders he shook his locked in place cannons to get the tingle of the energy bridge out of his circuits while his optics found a once again scorched black Wheeljack fiddling at his desk as he absently reached over and flicked off the ground bridge without even glancing up.

Hide snorted. "Hey, Jack."

Wheeljack nodded without looking. He was working on what appeared to be the lights for the party tonight. Ironhide rolled his optics.

"You blew up again didn't you?"

"No bot got hurt!" Wheeljack finally looked up with a tentative smile, more than willing to not tell Ironhide that his youngling had been on his shoulder when the power supply to the lights decided to go up in a rather bright pop and send both him and the youngling crashing to the floor a few breems ago. The youngling was fine. Not even a scorch mark this time. Which was _way _better than what happened last time. And Jazz took him saying he'd keep quiet so Wheeljack didn't find himself under Ratchet and Ironhide's fury again. So as far as Wheeljack was concerned Ironhide could just never know it happened.

"One orn you're going to kill us all, Jack." Making his way to the door Ironhide hid his smile as Wheeljack called out behind him.

"Or save us all, thank you very much!"

Once the door shut behind him Ironhide let out a quiet laugh. Primus it was good to be home. Now, to find his Bumblebee. Opening a comm link he called Prime.

**"Optimus,"**

A moment of silence before a tense answer. **"Ironhide, you are back?"**

The weapons specialist's optics narrowed at the tone as his steps hurried toward the Prime's office. **"Hot Rod and Hammerdown can handle the rest. So yeah I came back a little early. What's the matter?"**

**"Well, nothing really."**

**"Don't you dare lie to me, Prime! Where is my youngling?" **

**"With me. I'm in my office. Just come on and we'll fill you in."**

Ironhide snarled. **"Leave for fraggin' six orns and the whole damn world ends! Who do I have to scrap!?"**

**"Calm your aft and just get down here!" **Ratchet's snarl met Hide's the CMO having apparently been on the link. Ironhide just growled darkly under his breath as he marched the last few halls to his best friend's office. Throwing the swishing door open he found Optimus behind his desk with Ratchet standing to the side and Bumblebee sitting in the middle of the large metal surface playing with a glittering light cube. When the door swung open the little mech spun to see who it was and in an instant his little faceplate lit up like a supernova.

Ironhide's spark melted into a pile of goo.

"HIDE!" The youngling flung himself to his feet and jumped off the desk making Ironhide hiss under his breath and reach out to snatch the little mech before his faceplate became one with the floor. Quickly bringing the little wiggling mess of yellow protoform to his chest he suddenly found himself chuckling as Bee sprang up and latched onto his neck squeezing tightly as he giggled. "Hide! Hide! Hide! Hide! Hide! Hide!"

"Hey, Bee. How you doing? Have you been good?"

"Yep!" Bee pulled back grinning brightly up at his guardian.

"That's my youngling." Ironhide stroked a digit between the little mechs twitching antennas earning him a soft purr before Bee buried his faceplate back in the softer wires of the mech's neck.

"Missed you."

"I missed you too." Hide's spark pulsed happily and possessively as it wrapped itself back around the bubbly warmth that was his young charge.

"Don't go again." Bee said softly as he snuggled against the comforting feeling of the energon pumping through the tubes and wires in Hide's neck proving that the powerful mech was really there.

Ironhide sighed. "Comes with the job, Bee. Sometimes I have too."

"Don't like it!" Bee pouted.

"I know, but I'm back now that's what matters."

"'Kay." Once again Bee was chirping happily all his anger rushing out as quickly as it came. He couldn't be angry. Not when his Hide was back.

Content that the snuggling youngling would be alright for a few klicks Ironhide turned his dark blue optics to his two best friends.

"Ironhide," Optimus greeted him with a smile.

"Have fun trailing after Hammer's nonsense?" Ratchet snorted.

Hide glared at them both with a hint of amusement. "One of these orns I'm going to murder that mech. Do you know how many times I woke up to find my cannons stuffed with kettle-energon? Seven! SEVEN TIMES! I was only there for six orns."

Bee's giggles really did nothing to ease the weapons specialist's mood. Instead Ironhide glanced down with a glare to the top of his youngling's head.

"No mech asked you, youngling."

Bee giggled even louder. "Hammer funny."

"Hammer is a bad influence!"

"Still funny." Bee just kept on giggling until suddenly he pushed back from his guardian remembering something as it flashed brightly in his baby blue optics. "HIDE!"

"What?" Ironhide laughed at the almost giddy bounce that was now happening in his hand as the little yellow youngling clung to his armor.

"It's New Vorns Eve!" Bee cheered.

"Yes, it is."

"What you get me?"

The ebony mech snorted. "You'll find out later."

Bee pouted.

"Sorry that's the way it works, Bee."

With a huff Bee fell to his skidplate in his guardian's large hand, crossed his arms, and proceeded to pout. Ironhide rolled his optics with amusement while Ratchet shook his head and Optimus just smiled at the little mech that owned all their sparks.

**"So what's the matter?" **Ironhide asked silently over their private comm link after a few moments.

**"Where to start . . . ." **Ratchet sighed.

**"That bad? He doesn't look hurt."**

**"He's fine after the whole step incident." **The medic assured his friend. **"This is something else."**

**"Like what?"**

**"He wants to know why the twins hate New Vorns Eve." **Optimus started hesitantly.

**"Oh . . . ." **Ironhide fought between the two emotions of whether or not he needed to go twist the twins until they broke or if he should just accept that they hated this holiday. They had their reasons. Now that he knew most of what happened to them he understood. This was affecting his youngling though, and when it affected his youngling the mech drew a line. **"Well it was going to happen sooner or later, but can't they at least fake it for the party? They adore him, they'll do that. At least Sides will. Sunstreaker will pout, but he's moody most the time anyway. That's nothing new. Bee won't even notice with all that will be going on. He never has."**

**"That's not what has us worried, Hide." **Optimus said quietly.

**"Than what does?"**

**"He asked me if they hated it because of the scars." **Ratchet told him making Ironhide go very still.

**"What?"**

**"That's what I said." **Ratchet rubbed a hand down his faceplate. **"He then told me that he's seen them before."**

**"****_What_****!?" **Ironhide snarled his spark flaring with anger and his engine growling in outrage. Bumblebee looked up startled, slightly confused as to why the spark he loved so much was suddenly angry. He poked at it with his own trying to calm Ironhide down which the mech responded too.

At least on the outside.

He quelled his anger silencing his whirling cannons and snarling engine forcing his battle prodigals to quit flashing before his optics. Grinding his metal teeth until he was sure he was going to break something he stared at the two mechs before him.

Optimus didn't seem to be in much better shape than he was. Now that Hide was looking for it he could see the tension in his bulky shoulders, the frown flickering at his lips, and the hardness of his optics. Ratchet was no better, he had his hands balled into fist and his dark optics narrowed into slits. Ironhide could almost see the wheels turning in his processor trying to figure out how he could fix this.

Ironhide just wanted answers though.

Then he'd blow up whatever was the cause of his adopted son knowing about the brands from the Rings.

Optimus' sigh brought Ironhide out of his mental murder plan.

**"You need to hear what he told Ratchet."** Suddenly a voice file was pinged over to him and Ironhide opened it.

**_"Seen 'em before."-Bumblebee_**

**_"What do you mean you've _****seen****_ them before!?"-Ratchet_**

**_"Uh . . . think so."-Bumblebee _**

**_"Bad place. Remember some things."-Bumblebee_**

**"What?" **Ironhide breathed out stumbling slightly as he instinctively curled his fingers into a tight shelter around Bumblebee pulling him to his spark. Bee crouched low as he sat in the sudden fist he found himself in leaning against the strong black armor beside him. Unsure of what was suddenly so wrong with his guardian—what had his spark pulsing in fear and anger—he cuddled up next to the pounding.

Had he done something wrong?

He really wasn't mad at Hide for not telling him what his New Vorns present was. He was just playing.

What did he do?

"Hide?" Bee questioned softly seeming to snap Ironhide out of whatever world he had fallen into. Shaking his head and blinking Ironhide looked down through his thick black fingers to find Bee staring up at him. "Not really mad. Just playin'."

Once again Ironhide melted. "It's okay, Bee."

Shifting so the caged fingers weren't so tight Ironhide tried to calm his spark, but it protested every other logical thought when Ironhide tried to pull his youngling away again. It wanted him near and it was having it no other way—not that Ironhide was all the keen on doing anything different—he just cradled the youngling close to his chest as he stared.

**"Bad place he remembers? What in the name of fraggin' Primus-damned Pit is that!?"**

**"That I can't tell you." **Ratchet grumbled. **"He won't talk about it anymore. We tried when I got him here."**

**"He just shrugs and says sometimes he remembers." **Optimus' optics narrowed in calculation. **"When I ask him what he says 'bad place'. When I ask what that is he just says 'can't remember'. When I asked when he remembers he said 'recharge'."**

**"He's having nightmares? He doesn't have nightmares! I'd fraggin' _know it_ if he had nightmares!" **Ironhide growled.

**"They might not necessarily be nightmares." **Ratchet told him. **"They might not wake him as well." **

**"A bad place where he knows what the scar brands from the Rings are doesn't really sound like a happy dream to me, Ratchet!"**

**"If he remembers that means their memories." **Optimus put in. **"But of what and when even he doesn't seem to know."**

**"Megatron?" **Ironhide's dark optics suddenly flicked with red and pale white at the memory of the monster that took his youngling from him.

**"I'm not sure." **Optimus admitted. **"He didn't have him long enough to take him far, and it seems plausible that he wasn't far from where we found Trickster."**

**"Don't fraggin' bring that glitch up!"** Ironhide hissed audibly making Bee squeak in confusion though when Ironhide started petting his antennas he quickly went to purring and snuggling again. **"Bee is not '****_theirs_****'! He's fraggin' mine! Ours! They can't have him, damn it! He's not some prophesied sparkling-tale!" **

**"If you believed all that your optics wouldn't be flickering." **Ratchet told him quietly.

Ironhide shot him a burning glare with pale white and burning red still flickering in his dark blue gaze as anger built up in his frame. If they didn't stop this soon he was going to blow something to the next galaxy.

**"We don't like it anymore than you do." **Ratchet said.

**"Mute it before I tear your damn vocal processor out and make you have to have Jolt fix it!"**

**"Ironhide," **Optimus' tone quelled the WS's murderous glare and suddenly the conversation was taken to a much closer level then a private comm channel. Optimus opened the powerful bonds to his two best friends. _"I didn't believe that glitch once, Hide. I didn't listen to him when he told me there was darkness in my Sire's house. I thought he was a fake. I didn't want to believe in sparkling-tales and the Guild. Sentinel told me they were frauds and I believed it. Trickster was right though, Hide. He was right. He gave me a chance to stop it from happening and I didn't listen. I could have saved my Sire, my brother, but I didn't listen. I will not make the same mistake twice."_

_"Nothing you could have done was going to stop, Megatron." _Ironhide pulsed back, his spark forcing the emotions of doubt away from his friend. Optimus' seemed to nod in return, but it didn't feel convinced.

_"What they say has truth in it when you think about what he can do." _Ratchet admitted tiredly. _"His spark is as powerful as yours—might be more some orn—Optimus. I hate believing that he might belong to them as much as you both do, but according to legend the Guild had gifts. Gifts given to them by Primus to help protect the balance of life. It is kind of hard to make myself think that they are lying when they seem so real."_

_"The legends only ever said two designations. Two mechs. None of those two were named Trickster, Impulse, or Evermore. Especially not Evermore. The legends never spoke of a femme."_

_"They also never said that they were real." _Optimus put in. _"But I can feel it, Ironhide. I told you that night and I'll tell you now. They aren't lying. I looked. They were telling the truth."_

_"Sometimes I really hate that Gift of the Primes you have, Optimus." _Ironhide mumbled.

_"You and me both, my brother." _

For a moment all was quiet.

_"So what does this mean? What do we do now?" _Ironhide glanced between them.

_"I guess we wait." _Optimus said. _"He doesn't want to talk about it anymore, and as Trickster said they will only be around where we cannot find them. I doubt he or his siblings will be answering any of our questions anytime soon."_

_"Well . . . ." _Ratchet trailed off unsure if it was a good idea or not. Unsure that it could even be done. They weren't likely to talk.

_"Ratch?" _Hide lifted an optic ridge.

_"He might talk to the twins." _

_"They won't tell him about the Rings. He doesn't need to know a slaggin' thing about them anyway." _Ironhide grumbled not liking the idea of his youngling hearing anything about that horrible place for as long as he lived. The notion made his armor crawl. Bee was too young. As far as Hide was concerned he would always be to young for knowledge of those horrors.

_"They might danced around the topic like they do with me, and that might be enough to get both he and them talking."_

For a moment the commander, the CMO, and the WS looked at each other weighing it over in their processors. None of them liked it, but they hated not knowing if something was haunting Bumblebee far more than the idea of discussing the Rings with him made them cringe. They stared at each other in silent, begrudged, agreement for a few klicks longer before Optimus nodded.

_"Comm the twins."_

* * *

**"Sideswipe," **The bright red mech squeaked in surprise at the sound of Ratchet's voice suddenly echoing around in his processor making him fall off his latter and crash into one of the rec room tables. Drift glanced down over the beams in the ceiling snickering at him while Sides just glared and picked himself up touching the side of his audio.

**"Uh . . . yeah?"**

**"Report to Prime's office."**

**"Whatever it was I didn't do it."**

**"Sideswipe, I don't care. Just get your brother and come down here."**

**"Why?"**

**"Just do it!" **The comm slammed shut with a bust of static making Sideswipe winch.

"What's up, mech?" Drift called from where he was fiddling with wires as Blaster was chassis deep in one of the vents in the wall.

"Yeah, something wrong?" The orange mech called.

"Ratchet called me to Prime's office." Sides said pushing himself up off the table and landing on his feet.

Both the white warrior and the orange communications expert stilled.

"You didn't see us!" They called in unison.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah I know the drill. See no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil. I'm not gonna rat your two out. I'll get out of this quick as I can. Finish up, this is gonna be hilarious."

"Thanks for the help, Sides!" Blaster called.

"Anytime." With that the red warrior let the door close behind him and he headed for his brother.

Sending out a questioning poke between their bond he quickly got a response.

_"Don't poke me you fragger!" _

_"Ha so good to talk to you too, Sunny."_

_"Don't call me that!"_

_"I'll call you whatever the frag I want!" _Sides challenged as he climbed the stairs and slid around Hoist and Red Alert as they carried party supplies toward the rec room.

Sunstreaker just growled over the bond.

_"Look sorry to disrupt your muse or your nap or whatever it is your slaggin' pouting with, but Wrench wants us in Prime's office."_

_"What in the name of pit did you do!?"_

_"Nothin'!" _Sides growled back. _"At least as of lately."_

_"I swear to Primus, if I get thrown in the brig for one more thing that _you _did I'm going to rearrange your circuits until you speak like a femme!" _

_"He didn't sound mad. Just come out and meet me there."_

Another growl.

_"Look you're going to have to come out sooner or later tonight. You don't show up for the party and Half Pint with hunt you down."_

_"He already did."_

_"Huh?"_

_"Don't ask it was earlier."_

_"Maybe it's you he's mad at." _Sides sent a mental optic ridge wiggle across their twin bond.

He was gifted a smack in return.

However, when he rounded the last hall to Optimus' office he saw Sunny round the other end. His golden twin glared at him with dark optics to which Sides grinned at in return as they came to a halt at the closed office door faceplate to faceplate.

"It's not my fault."

"Of course not." Sides grinned.

"I'll slug you."

"Love you too."

SMACK

"Oww," Rubbing the side of his one of his audio horns he pushed the code into the door and let it swish open. What he and Sunstreaker found was kind of shocking though. Optimus was reclined in his office chair, Ironhide was sitting in one of the chairs before the Prime's desk with Ratchet in the seat beside him both turned slightly to see out the door, then there was Bee who was playing with his guardian's fingers in the massive mech's lap. When the door swished open and the twins walked in the little yellow mech looked up, but he didn't call out like he usually did. His antennas folded down to the sides ever so slightly and his big baby blue optics grew a little hesitant.

Ironhide's gaze narrowed as he reached out to wrap up his spark that was suddenly sulking back into its protector's safety.

The twins on the other hand both deflated a little bit.

_"What in Pit did you do?" _Sides hissed silently to his twin.

_"I don't know." _And for once there was no venom in the golden warrior's tone. He sounded like someone just told him the universe had forever run out of _his_ shade of gold paint.

"Sideswipe, Sunstreaker." Optimus greeted as the pair of warriors hovered in his doorway their optics watching Bumblebee. "Come in."

The pair shared a quick glance that none of the officers missed before they stepped forward letting the door close behind them. Not speaking a word they stood close together, bodies tense and faceplates unreadable, as they watched those around them and especially the youngling who blinked at them with apprehension.

"You two are off shift until the orn after tomorrow, correct?"

"Uh now yeah, Boss Bot." Sides answered carefully.

"Then you'll be watching Bumblebee until the countdown party tonight."

The pair blinked in unison before in one fluid movement both heads tilted and they spoke together.

"Huh?"

Bee giggled.

He loved it when they did that.

Sides cut him a half sparked smile before looking back to his commander. "But . . . Hide is back don't you want him?"

Ironhide just glared at them looking very much like he was plotting how to offline them in their recharge and make it look like an accident.

Ratchet lifted an optic ridge.

Optimus simply shook his head. "We need him to spend some time with you two."

"Why?" Sunstreaker finally found his voice though Sides wasn't so sure that was a good thing. His tone was like metal scraping on metal. His normally smooth voice strained from trying to keep all the emotions that were flooding into their bond out of the open. Sides sent a quick comforting pulse trying to keep Sunny's head on straight, but the twitching in his golden fingers were proof enough to Sideswipe that this wasn't going well. He shot Ratchet a look.

Why was he doing this to them?

He knew why they hated New Vorns. They loved Half Pint like he was one of their bond, a brother, but these next two orns they weren't thinking in the present. That was the only reason they had been foolish enough to chase the little mech into a step and break his noseplate in the first place. They just needed to keep their distance for the next few orns.

For his safety and their own.

**"We need you to talk to him."** Ratchet answered opening up a comm between the former gladiators and the other mechs in the room.

**"This orn is not the best time for that." **Sideswipe hissed over the waves trying to make the officers understand.

Ironhide's gaze narrowed even further. **"I don't give a damn what haunts your processors tonight and the next**. ** Those are your demons to face, seeing as you refuse to talk about them to the mechs willing to listen and help. Right now all I care about is Bumblebee."**

**"What the pit does that have to do with us?" **Sunstreaker growled his scowl dancing to life on his lips. **"I'm sorry about yesterday, alright. I didn't mean to get him hurt, but that is all the more reason for him to be some other fraggin' place than with us for New Vorns."**

**"We don't think straight at the moment. Trying. Not really doing all that hot." **Sides was doing better than Sunny was. He always did, but he wasn't about to call his big brother out. They were one and the same and he'd stand beside how much more it haunted Sunstreaker. Because the only reason his memories were worse was because of all the times he stepped in front of Sideswipe and took the demons from him. Because of all those nights he had shoved Sides to the back of their cell and walked out to fight for his life instead of his twin.

Sideswipe owed him for more than any other bot could ever know.

Suddenly a voice file pinged into both twins data bases.

The shared a look then glanced to Ratchet.

**"Listen to it."**

They did as they were told.

**_"Seen 'em before."-Bumblebee_**

**_"What do you mean you've _****seen****_ them before!?"-Ratchet_**

**_"Uh . . . think so."-Bumblebee _**

**_"Bad place. Remember some things."-Bumblebee_**

Both twins went very still.

_"Bad place?" _Sides echoed to his twin.

_"Seen what?"_ Sunstreaker returned.

**"He asked me why you two didn't like New Vorns." **Ratchet spoke up again.

They froze.

**"When I wouldn't answer him he asked me if it was because of your scars." **The medic's optics flickered to the mirror marks of three gashes on both twins' chest. Their brands from the Rings. The things he should have seen _vorns _ago. The things he drove his fist into walls for not understanding. All this time it was right before his optics and he hadn't seen it until they snuck off that orn with Bumblebee.

He hated himself for not seeing it, for not being able to try and help before now.

**"And then he said that."**

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker felt like the world just got torn out from under their feet. They blinked once at the medic, then in unison shook their heads as if coming out of a daze, glanced to Bee who was paying no mind to anything in the room other than Ironhide's fingers as he played with them in his lap, and then back to Ratchet.

Neither said a word.

Not even Sideswipe. The king of smart remarks and snarky comebacks. He just stood there and stared at the medic he trusted his darkest self too.

He'd heard it—he and Sunny both—but neither one of them could believe it.

**"What exactly do you think he's talking about?" **Sunstreaker asking it was a bit shocking, but the grumbled growl that rolled in Ironhide's chest made it worth the golden warrior being the one to speak up.

**"That's what I want to know." **The WS told them.

The twins glanced at each other again.

Sides' dark blue optics swam with an emotion that made Sunny's spark hurt. His brother should not look like that anymore**. **Not here. Not now.

Yet he was sure that he looked the same way.

With a slow nod and a pulse of a sigh Sunstreaker gave in. Not because his commanding officers wanted it but because he desperately needed to know how Bumblebee knew anything about their scars.

"Hey, Half Pint." Sides forced on a grin that could light up a dead planet and drew Bee's attention earning him a small smile. "Wanna come play vid games with us?"

In a nano-klick the little youngling was full on beaming.

They wanted to play with him?

That meant they weren't mad anymore! Bumblebee felt like chirping with glee.

Spinning toward Ironhide he bounced slightly. "Can?"

"Of course." Ironhide almost purred at the glee glittering in those baby blue optics before he scooped up his little yellow youngling letting Sideswipe snatch him up and cradle him to his spark. Two sets of dark blue optics shared a silent confirmation before the twins spun away in unison heading for the hall as Bee giggled asking what they were going to play as the door hissed closed behind them.

* * *

The quiet pew, pew, pew of a vid game filled the big double berthroom that belonged to the twins. The massive space being the result of Sideswipe—much to Hot Rod's horror—taking his pile drivers and a box of explosives to the dividing wall that had separated the two rooms the twins had claimed. The now huge space that rivaled Optimus' office was home to the infamous Terror Twins and all of life's little pleasures that they had either bought or stolen over the vorns. Four couches of various shades of blacks and whites were placed neatly around the space, three recliners all of dark tints accept the tiny yellow one that sat in the middle of the room. It was no hard to figure out whom that one belonged too. Also a giant TV screen took up most of the west wall the rest of that wall space being taken up by the sound system that Sides had magically acquired before they left Tyger Pax and Hot Rod's ship what seemed like so long ago. In a quieter corner of the room under the only window was a well lit little space that belonged solely to Sunstreaker, the home of his art studio. Lastly there was the two large berths that were riveted to the east wall one just above the other forming sort of bunk berths the top belonging to Sideswipe who was all for the flare of dramatics in the morning when he would cannon ball from his recharge space while Sunstreaker lay quietly and proudly on the space closer to the ground.

The room itself was a work of art that marveled even the mechs that didn't really like the big golden warrior all that much—Gears—because the murals that made up the free walls and the ceiling were awe inspiring.

The north wall that was home to their window was a scarily realistic image of Iacon in its prime, before the bombs and 'Cons leveled it to a pile of ruble. How the former gladiator knew what Iacon looked like in the optics of the Elite and Nobles that had called the place home even Ratchet had yet to figure out. Because neither twin was all that willing to tell any mech that Iacon had been their home before they were sold into slavery.

The wall behind their berths formed a much darker picture, but it was beautiful all the same. It was Kaon, in all of its brilliant darkness.

A different kind of beauty.

Mysterious and slightly scary yet it held a sort of untouchable power that made an observer marvel at its ability to feel as if one could simply step off into the streets and walk among the shadows and dimly glowing lights. To wonder the cold looking roads in search of a warmth most would never find among its alleyways.

The wall that surrounded the door was much brighter, much more free, much more splattered with little youngling hand prints. Because that's pretty much all it was. The huge expanse of pale white wall was now home to every color in the universe, some many languages had no name for they were so beautiful, and all were the work of little yellow fingers guided by a steady, patient, much larger golden hand as he allowed the youngling to swirl brushes against the wall, splatter his palms against the surface, and just play until his little spark was content over and over and over again. Most of the larger hand prints that made up the space were also the work of little Bumblebee. Because the first night Sunstreaker had set a pan of paints before him and said go for it Bee had splattered his little palms every where he could reach in every color he had, but after a while he had looked back at the twins that sat in the floor behind him watching closely. With a grin that could bring a long dead star back to life he had begged them to play as well. When Sides jumped up without a second thought Sunny had joined as well and before long—how it happened neither twin was really all that sure—their room was filled to the brim with every mech on the ship and suddenly the wall was home to a mural of hand prints and tiny swirls.

And they had loved it.

Even Gear's. Though Sides had hid all but the pink paint for that one.

Somehow the massive space of splatters and smudges told the story of their family. Of how a little yellow youngling brought them all back to life. Not so secretly it was the pride and joy of the crew of _Eternity_ and every mech on board _dared_ one fraggin' bot to say a word of ill against it. Be they visiting solider or not they would be quite thoroughly scrapped.

Sunstreaker and Bumblebee had plans to make another one in the rec room. A bigger one to which Sunstreaker would add some murals of his own that he was going to let Bumblebee help him paint. When the idea had come across Prowl's desk the strict black and white mech had stared at the golden warrior with the little yellow youngling in his arms and opened up a private comm with Ratchet to tell the medic what he had just heard and ask if the warrior was going glitchy.

Up until then Sunstreaker had _never _shown his paintings to any besides his twin, the youngling, and Ratchet.

The medic's response had made Prowl's audios pop and crackle as he growled out that if the SIC dared to tell the warrior that he couldn't that Ratchet would reformat him into a 'slagging glitch filled pour excuse for a broken and malfunctioning toaster'.

Prowl had agreed to the warrior's and the youngling's request.

Now as Sunstreaker lay back on Sides' berth his strong shoulders tense and aching as he reclined against the wall with a little bundle of yellow in his lap and his ruby red brother at his side both twisting vid game controls back and forth in their hands Sunstreaker stared at the soft blues mix with glittering purples and gold and flowing dots of white that made up the mural of the Cybertronian sky at night he had painted on the ceiling. He needed to get on that new painting. It would make up for earlier. It would also do him good to see the little mech smile so brightly again.

After these fraggin' next two orns it would be needed.

That brilliant smile of his that is.

"Eh," Bee's snap drew Sunny's attention as his player got ate by a giant alien worm. "Eat me 'gain."

Sides chuckled. "You went up a level this time, Half Pint. You're getting' better."

Bee smacked the controller down on the berth beside him with a huff as he crossed his arms. "Always lose."

Sunstreaker rested his palm on top of the little mech's head. "You'll learn."

For a moment they were quiet until Bumblebee turned around scurrying up Sunstreaker's frame until he was snuggled in against his spark. The warrior cupped his hand under him to hold him up as the little mech traced a finger over the scars in his armor.

The twins shared a look.

Now was as good as time as any to start what they were afraid to ask.

"Hey, Half Pint?" Sideswipe scooted closer to his brother until they were sitting shoulder to shoulder and he reached up petting Bee's antennas as he chirped in answer. "So Ratchet told us you thought we were mad."

His antennas folded down to his head.

"Sunny and Sides not happy. Don't understand why." Bee mumbled. "New Vorns is fun."

"It's just . . . not our favorite holiday, Half Pint." Sides tired to explain.

"Why?" Bee tilted his head leaning away from Sunstreaker's chest to watch both warriors' dark optics.

They sighed in unison.

They'd never tell him about the Rings. _Ever_. They couldn't.

"It 'cuz of scars?"

Their sparks fell.

"Seen 'em before."

"And where did you see them?" Sunstreaker grumbled his spark clenching in his chest.

Bumblebee twisted around in Sunny's grip until he was sitting in his palm his fingers twisting in his lap as he swung his little feet off the side of the warrior's hand.

"That . . . Break. . . ." He tilted his head.

That big blue and grey mech that had been with that Mega-whoever that had taken him away. That mech that had been kind to him. The one with the bright red one. Their names were hard to remember. He hadn't known them long and after he returned home he felt it was better to not talk of them.

Talking about them seemed to upset his family.

So he didn't do it.

Now though he needed to talk about them. Because that blue and grey mech had had the same scars as the twins. The scars he saw in his darkness memories.

"Break . . . Break . . . so had to say!" He kicked his feet in irritation.

"Breakdown?" Sideswipe offered his usual grin forming a scowl. They all knew that Knockout and Breakdown had been there when Megatron took Bumblebee from them. The twins also knew that Breakdown still bore the scars they did. Knockout might have hidden his scar beneath his bright finish, but his were there as well.

They'd never truly be gone.

Bee chirped. "That's it!"

They both glared at nothing when he said that.

"Had same as you." Bee blinked between them. "Knew both you."

"Yes . . . he did." Sunstreaker said.

"But he 'Con, right?"

They nodded.

"We knew him a very long time ago, Half Pint." Sides sighed.

"In dark place?"

They tensed.

"What is this dark place you're talking about, Bumblebee?" Sunstreaker asked.

The youngling suddenly found his fingers very interesting. "Bad place. From before."

"Where Megatron took you?" Sides questioned.

Bee shook his head. "No."

"Then where?"

"Don't know." Bee shrugged. "Remember sometimes. Dark and cold and hard to breath. Badness and red optics." His antennas folded down. "Called me runt. Not a runt! Place Carrier took me 'way from."

"Before Ironhide found you?" Sunstreaker's grip around him tightened just the slight bit his fingers curling in to keep him in a protective wall of golden metal.

He nodded. "Don't 'member much. Just some faces and voices. When recharge sometimes. Not happy dreams. They scary most times. Always sounds, not really see much. But know it's bad. Hear fighting and screams. Sometimes can smell energon. I don't like it there, Sunny. Don't wanna go back. When can't wake up feel like I'm back sometimes. But when wake up I know Hide and Optimus and you two and Jazzy and Ratch . . . you not let bad place come back."

"Never." Sides growled under his breath his fist curled at his sides to keep his shaking hands out of Bumblebee's sight as his brother brought him closer to his half of their split spark.

"Sometimes see scars like yours' though." Bee mumbled. "On armor. Don't know what means but don't think it's good."

After that the little mech fell into silence while Sideswipe and Sunstreaker wrestled with the information they'd been given. It sounded so much the same. So very, _very_, much the same that it had both of them trying desperately to find a loop hole.

Something.

Anything!

To prove that he wasn't talking about what they thought he was talking about.

"Bumblebee," Sunstreaker whispered. "Did bots fight in this dark place? Were there crowds?"

Bee tilted his head trying to recall. He really didn't know though. "Fight lots, yeah. Always sounds of fights. Sometimes cheers too, but don't know what they say. Don't know about crowds."

A shudder ran through both twins' frames.

That was when Bumblebee realized how panicked the two sparks closest to him where. The normally powerful, mysterious, echoed sparks most of the time beat with strength and warmth that Bumblebee drank up. Now they were slamming so hard against their chambers that the little mech thought they might break free. All of a sudden Bee bit his lip very hard looking between the two bright warriors that were no longer looking like they were even aware he was there anymore. Both sets of dark blue optics were clouded over and far away.

What had he done now?

Maybe he shouldn't have told them. Maybe they were mad at him. But they had asked. He was doing what he was supposed to do. He was telling the truth.

Reaching out slightly with his magnificent little spark he poked at the bonds he shared with the warriors trying to find out what was wrong. Their connections recoiled from his prodding though just like Sunstreaker had done earlier. They didn't want him in their sparks. They were hiding from him.

His little spark fell to the floor.

He didn't understand.

"Sorry," He breathed, trying to figure out what he'd done.

That seemed to snap both Sides and Sunny out of wherever they had gone and Bumblebee suddenly found himself crushed tightly—yet not painfully—between two massive mechs that were hugging both him and each other as they snuggled into the softness of Sideswipe's berth clutching to him and each other tightly as if he or one of them was going to vanish at any moment.

The predicament didn't really bother Bee. He loved hugs, especially hugs from the twins being at they were rare, but he really didn't get what was going on. The sparks that were hammering against his audio receptors sounded like they were about to break down in panic and the shaking breaths the twins were breathing didn't really reassure the little mech all that much.

What was going on?

This wasn't his twins. His twins never acted like they were afraid, but these two . . . they seemed very much afraid. Of what though Bumblebee didn't know.

"No, Half Pint." Sideswipe's voice shook as he held tighter to the little yellow frame between him and his brother as his free hand grasped tight to Sunstreaker truly and honestly terrified that at any moment either or both of them were going to get torn away.

"We're sorry." Sunstreaker finished for him his breath sounding just as broken and afraid as he did the very thing his brother was doing. What they had done so many times locked in the back of a cold, dirty, dark cell. Cling to the only security and warmth they knew. Each other. "We're so, _so_, sorry."

Bee blinked in confusion before realizeing that the twins really were afraid. Making a quick decision he snuggled down closer making sure he had a hand gripped on both mechs' armor before he turned his little head up to blink he big baby blue optics at the two that stared down at him with broken gazes as they clung to him.

"Sunny and Sides afraid." It wasn't a question and when they drew a shared shaking breath they both knew they couldn't lie to those optics. He'd know if they were. Now there was no point.

"Of losing you, Bumblebee." Sunstreaker mumbled.

"Yeah, Half Pint we are." Sideswipe sighed.

"Me not going nowhere." Bee promised as he snuggled his little faceplate into Sideswipe's chest armor just over his pounding spark before he kissed the warrior lightly on the scars that resided there. The shudder that ran through Sides was repeated by his brother when Bee twisted around and did the same to Sunstreaker. The youngling knew their sparks were hurting and since they wouldn't let him in to try and make it better he figured he'd do it the old fashioned way. When he had a boo-boo Hide always kissed it better, and Quickfire told him that kissing boo-boos would always make them better. So that was just what he did.

A small smile was gifted to him in return as Sides snuggled his noseplate down into the soft metal and wires that made up his tiny frame while Sunstreaker pet him lovingly between the antennas.

"I stay here. With you. Promise. Me make you not 'fraid anymore." Bee said as he wiggled around some more getting comfortable between the two heavily armored mechs that seemed very small and fragile to him right now. He wasn't really sure how all that worked—the twins had always been like Hide and Optimus, unbreakable and unbeatable, though he had seen both Optimus and Ironhide shake and cry for him—he knew they were scared for him because they loved him and he was pit bent to make sure they knew that he loved them too. That he wasn't going to leave them. He was going to stay here with them and his family because this was where he belonged.

He might be young.

He might be tiny.

He might not really understand most of the stuff that happened around him, but he did understand that this was his home and this was his family. He was meant to be right here in the arms of the bots that would move the Well and the Pit for him if it needed to be done.

"We love you, Half Pint." Sunstreaker told him quietly in nothing more than a whisper. "Don't ever forget that."

"You're _our _Half Pint. _Our _little brother." Sideswipe finished just as softly.

"I know." Bee chirped as he hugged them in return. They stayed like that for a while longer until both twins managed to get a grip on all they were trying to process though even after they had calmed their raging in panic sparks they didn't let the little yellow youngling move. They hugged him tightly between them as they kept each other grounded. It had been many may vorns since they had needed to do this—simply curl up into each other and be reminded that they weren't alone, that they and the other were still alive—but sometimes it just needed to be done. Though they hated the weakness it expressed in them especially that it was happening in front of Bumblebee, but there was nothing they could do about it.

He had been there too.

Bumblebee!

Sweet, silly, incredible, innocent, bright, bubbly, warm, and wonderful little Bumblebee! He had been in the Rings!

"Sunny and Sides know bad place." That too wasn't a question. Bee watched both mechs open their optics again to stare down at him sadly.

"Yeah, Bee." Sides answered.

"Sometimes I 'member," Bee started. "What Carrier looked like. Not most times. But sometimes. And when I do I 'member scars. Scar like these." Running his tiny little digits over the gash scars in Sunstreaker's armor he continued. "She said when we left that we was free now. Don't really know what that meant, but think it means free of that dark, bad place."

"That's right, Half Pint." Sunstreaker nuzzled the little mech. "We're free."

Bee didn't miss the fact that the warrior said 'we're' but he didn't comment about it. He simply snuggled against his twins and let his bright little spark pulsed back at the two that were guarded from him in a wall of dark memories.

"Bad place why not like New Vorns?" That time it actually was a question.

They hummed a correct not willing to tell him about why the memories of the Rings made New Vorns so bad. He didn't need to know about the death matches. Not yet.

For a moment Bee pondered this before he sat up right between them on the berth with a devious little grin. "Imma change that."

Both twins sat up slowly as they watched Bee scramble over Sunstreaker's frame, somehow managed to find his way to the floor without killing himself, and scurry across the hard metal floor before coming to a stop at the twins door. Looking back over his shoulder he smiled.

"Can go to Jazzy?"

Sides and Sunny shared a look.

_"We need to go tell them this."_ Sunstreaker nodded.

_"To Jazzy it is then." _The pair hopped off the top bunk both making sure to quell their fears before Sides scooped Bee from the ground and headed in search of Jazz before they went to find Optimus, Ironhide, and Ratchet.

It was time to tell them the truth.

The whole truth.

* * *

"I need to dismantle something." Ironhide paced the medical bay growling not so silently his cannons hissing and whirling as he stalked.

"Join the club." Ratchet grumbled as he leaned against one of his medical berths.

Optimus was silent though.

He stood near the pair of them his arms crossed and his processor whirling. Both his friends could see the wheels spinning in his head as he along with them tried to convince themselves that this wasn't true, but when the door to the medical bay swished open the three of them paused in their inner anger and thoughts to find that Sideswipe and Sunstreaker stood before the now closed again door and their hope vanished.

The WS, the CMO, and the commander stood still then watching the twins whose dark gazes were cold and lonely, angry and lost, so very much not like the two proud warriors they knew.

"We took Bee to Jazz and Prowl." Sideswipe said.

"He wanted to go." Sunstreaker added.

"And?" Ironhide stepped forward a little unnerved by the look in the twins' optics.

Sunstreaker looked away while Sideswipe looked down. A long voice file suddenly pinged into the officers' processors.

The twins waited.

It took longer than they thought it would. Both sorta figured that Ironhide would just full on snap and blow the whole ship up, that Optimus might actually lose his temper, and that Ratchet might actually glitch. What they did not expect was the thud of Ironhide's bulk sitting heavily down on a chair at the end of Ratchet's desk, or Optimus stumbling slightly until his weight was caught by the edge of that very desk, not even Ratchet's feet sliding out from under him making him catch himself of the berth he had been standing beside which now his slightly shaking arms were using to keep all of his weight up.

Both twins just stood there and stared.

There was nothing else they could do.

After another long moment Ironhide gasped out. "What?"

"It's the Rings." Sideswipe murmured. "He's talking about the Rings."

"No . . . ." Optimus' hand reached up to rub his faceplate. "_No_."

"He was a sparkling!" Ironhide hissed, jumping from his chair his cannons snarling. "What in the damn pit did the _Rings _have use of a sparkling for!?"

The matching dark blue optics narrowed at the mech.

"We were not an orn older than sparklings when we ended up there, Ironhide." They said together.

"What better gladiators can you get than the ones you train from youth?" Sunstreaker growled looking away. "They didn't care. Life was nothing but credit signs to them."

"But . . . ." Ratchet was desperately trying rationalize this in his mind. "He said he was _from _there."

"Ratchet," Sides' voice drew the medic's gaze up in shock.

That tone.

Not that tone.

"I think it's time we told you mechs the truth."

"All of it." Sunstreaker refused to lift his gaze from the floor.

The three older mechs stared at them.

"You sure?" Ratchet was suddenly not so positive he wanted to know it all. Not after what he'd just heard, but somehow the look in those two mechs' optics told him that the only way any of the three of them were going to be able to figure out what Bumblebee meant was if the twins told them. They all know of the Rings. The horrors and the cruelty that had happened there. Jazz had seen it.

He had spied in it.

It was him that found out that Megatron was down there, though he found it out to late.

They knew of the slave market, the death matches, the horrible wrongs that were committed in that place, but they hadn't known that the Rings kept femmes let alone sparklings and younglings. What good were they to the business of fights to the death?

Well they knew. They just didn't want to admit it.

"We don't know our creators names." Sideswipe let out a heavy sigh as he began a story that sounded like it was going to tear Ratchet apart from the inside out. He along with Hide and Optimus because whether the twins knew it or not the two other mechs cared about them as much as Ratchet did. They were family, because Ratchet looked after them like they were his own. That meant that his best friends did so as well.

"They didn't really like us all that much anyway." Sunstreaker growled.

"We do remember that." Sides added.

"You know the whole 'twins are abnormal' and all that slag." Sunstreaker glared at the floor. "Split Spark Twins. Abominations if you asked most bots. We defied the will of Primus by being one spark that lives in two mechs. Not that it was our fraggin' choice or anything like that, but you know that didn't matter. Sparklings or not we were punished for what we were."

Ratchet tensed in anger. _Punished?_

What in _pit _did they mean by punished?!

"It was never really all that much our Carrier." Sides offered. "She didn't like what we were, but she never lifted a hand against us . . . at least from what we remember. It was our Sire. He was an Elite of some kind. High up in the ranks of Iacon. Which is how Sunny can paint the city by the way since we know you mechs wondered. We were sparked there. Yeah, hard to believe isn't it? The Terror Twins are actually well bred high class. Can't tell by looking at us can you? Well anyway, he took us as embarrassments. Few knew we were even sparked let alone did they know where we were. He kept us locked up out of sight with a nurse that looked after us. That femme was more Carrier to us than our own, but then again it wasn't really her fault. Our Sire wouldn't let her near us."

"From what I remember," Sunstreaker picked right up with his twins words. "He threatened to leave her if she tried to do anything about how he treated us. The . . . beatings and stuff."

Ratchet's spark flared with fury and his fist clenched as Ironhide's gaze darkened along with the Prime's.

"And since she really didn't like us that much to being with she did nothing." Sunstreaker shrugged. "Just let him beat us, tell us we were worthless, abnormal, that we were getting what we deserved for—as they saw it—defining Primus. My answer to that is if I'm defining Primus by being this idiot's twin why did he make me this way in the first place?"

"Back then though we were sparklings." Sides took up the words as Sunstreaker jammed a thumb at him. "We didn't know anything other than what we were told . . . what was beat into us. The only real kindness we ever knew back then was Fairlane, our nurse. She always fixed what our pour excuse for a Sire broke and held us when we cried. She always said that there was nothing wrong with the way we were. That we weren't abominations. Took a while to believe that though. When you get told your nothing by the blunt end of a sword hilt over and over again you tend to believe it."

"If it wasn't for her he would have killed us long before we ever got out of our first vorn." Sunstreaker picked up the tale. "And to tell you the truth we really don't even know why she was there. Maybe it was our Carrier who brought her or maybe she was there when we were sparked I don't know. Never got to ask. I was a sparkling. We didn't worry about such things. We just knew that Fairlane was safe and Sire was not. So we didn't really have much more to think about than that. We stayed in our little dark hole of a home with her and dreaded the orns he was going to come by and remind us that we were worthless. I hated the bastard back then too."

"Three vorns old is far too young to know hate." Sides sighed. "Too young to know pain and agony. We were sparklings that didn't get to be sparklings because we had to come to understand that we weren't wanted. Not fair, but true. To this orn I don't know why he even bothered to keep us alive. He should have just killed us. Would have been easier that way. Maybe a few in Iacon actually knew that we were alive and that was why he couldn't just end us. We can't answer you that one, but then again he found a way to fix that problem of his."

"We told you once that we were sparkling-knapped, right?" Sunstreaker lifted his gaze to the tense form of Ratchet. The medic looked like he was torn between yelling and glitching. Under different circumstances that might have made the golden mech chuckle, but he really didn't want to see it now. He hated seeing the pity and the pain floating in those dark blue optics."Well that's only half the truth. We were taken from our creators that never gave a damn about us, but I'll bet you every can of paint I own that he sold us. Don't know for sure because we were far too young to understand, but considering no bot was suppose to even know about us and then one night our home gets broken into, Fairlane gets her spark torn out trying to protect us, and we get swished off into the night without a single siren wailing in protest I find it hard to believe that it wasn't supposed to happen that way."

"The next thing either of us remembers after that night is waking up in a cold, dirty, dark cell to the sounds of torture and death." Sides grumbled. "I'm not going to descried the Rings too you from the optics of a sparkling. I know Jazz was in there on his spy mission all those vorns ago long enough to have told you what it was like, but there was a side of the Rings that I bet even he didn't find out about. And that was where they bred knew fighters for the Emperor. Can't tell you who that was either, it was just the mech all the Ring Masters answered too. Never saw him, no matter how many times we fought, killed, and survived for his entrainment. No matter that we bare his brands." His hand thumbed the three gashes in the armor over his spark.

"The brand was given to any that were brought into the Rings, be them slave, gladiator, femme, or youngling. If you were there you were his property and that was all you would ever be." Sunstreaker's hands balled into fist. "The side that not even most of the crowds or even the gladiators knew about was the depths of the pits of those places. The places that younglings stolen in the night along with femmes swiped from dark alleys were brought. The place where he kept his trophy mechs when they weren't serving in his rings. There were a lot of them there. Some were gladiators that he trusted enough to allow in, but most were underlings to the Ring Masters. All of them though were cruel and evil . . . well all but one I guess."

"The femmes that were brought there . . . you can guess what they were used for." Sides let out a tired breath. "When they weren't being used as playthings they looked after the captured younglings tending to wounds and helping the very few medics that resided in that place. If you can call them medics. Anyway, there were many a sparkling sparked in that place. Few lived more than a few orns though. Usually the Sires would kill them because small and weak was not tolerated in that place. Which is why I'm confused as to how Bee made it past when he was sparked. He was so fraggin' tiny—still is—sparklings like him were killed usually by the medics before the carriers even saw them. I guess to save them from the sight of the Sires coming to find them. Only the sparklings that had the look that they might make good fighters were allowed to live and then most the times they never made it far. They were taken from their carriers too young and usually died in 'training'. That Carrier of his must have had either luck or a few others on her side to ever get her and him out of there alive. I'm not really all that sure how she pulled that off."

"We met Knockout and Breakdown in that place." Sunstreaker continued. "They were like us. Two younglings that got knapped and brought in because they could either be used to bait a fight or might be trainable and make good gladiators one orn. Crazy, huh? We grew up with the Decepticon mad doctor and that glitchy frontliner. World is a weird place. We never would have survived past our fifteen orn if it wasn't for _him _though. That one mech down there in that pit that didn't seem to think like the rest. He was cruel, he was ruthless, he had never been bested in a fight, and that made him one of the highest ranked mechs down there, but he wasn't evil."

"His name was Wardrums." Sides spoke again. "We always just called him War though. It summed him up pretty well. He was the mech in charge of the training all the younglings were put through to test them and see who was going to live long enough to grow into their last frame and fight out there in the arenas. I can't tell you what made him decide that we were worth his time. Most of the younglings he turned his back too, he had this thing in him that he didn't waste his time on those not worthy of it. The ones he knew weren't going to make it he just left to the mercy of the other trainers. They had none, so you can guess how most of them ended up. Us though . . . I'll never forget that orn when he walked the line of younglings assigning trainers and such. He stopped in front of us and just stood there for a long time looking us over. He knew we were twins. Everybot in the place did."

"It was one of the ways they tortured us." Sunstreaker took it up. "When we miss behaved or something they'd separate us. Not let us know where they took the other one. It hurts to be far apart for long periods of time, Wrench you know that, and it drove us damn near glitchy. Sometimes I don't think you realize it, Prime. Just what we would do to get the other back if we are separated. I don't think it really has ever accrued to you because I know Prowl would have said something. I've done many gruesome things to get Sides back."

"And I've done the same for him." Sideswipe added. "We don't know where that line is that you mechs walk. You'd do anything for each other, but if a Con got a hold of one of you and ransomed one of you for information and such . . . if it wasn't Bumblebee you'd probably say no wouldn't you? That is the price of war anyway. There are loses and one orn each of us is going to die. Even if it tore your spark apart you wouldn't sell out our cause for one mech, but we would. I'd sell the Well out for Sunny . . . I might even put Bee in danger. I wouldn't want too, but . . . he's my _twin_. We're one and the same. We can't be without the other."

"Two halves of the same whole." Sunstreaker shrugged. "Different in every slaggin' way, but a part of each other just the same. It's our greatest strength and our greatest weakness. And it has been both. When Wardrums looked down at us I just knew he was going to separate us among trainers seeing as how they'd never let us fight together in a Ring Battle if we made it that far, and I was fully ready to take all six foot nothing of me and tell him where to stick it if he tried to take my twin from me, but that didn't happen. He chose us as his students and dismissed the rest to their fates. Even Knockout and Breakdown."

"That was the last we saw of them for a long time." Sideswipe started. "Trainers took their students and the only time they ever got together with the rest again was when we fought each other. That wasn't for a few vorns though. After we had been trained some. Wardrums took us back to his quarters, gave us our own cell sort of room, and said that from here on out we were his responsibility. That he was going to teach us to survive no matter what. Never really got what he saw in us. Guess it was maybe the potential to turn us into this." He shrugged looking down at his own frame. "We are pretty fraggin' good at what we do after all. The only other bot we knew for a long time was one of the medics. A friend of Wardrums. He was called Dustoff. He was never like the other medics. The ones that liked to hurt you more than help you . . . maybe now you get why we really wanted out of your medical bay all that time ago, Wrench. You can see where Knockout got it at least."

"But Dustoff was still not what you would call _nice_." Sunstreaker huffed. "Of course we never knew a lot of that. He did his best to keep us in working order though after all the times Wardrums beat us into twitching piles of sparks. He was a damn good teacher, but his methods were far from hesitant. With him it was learn fast or die because he wasn't going to hold back a swing of his sword anymore than he would his fist. He said no opponent we faced was going to so why should he fill our processors with the false since of that in the end we would be shown mercy. That wasn't how the Rings works and that wasn't how he did either. However, he was a brilliant mech and a damn good teacher even if I hate him for how many times he pushed us within an inch of our lives. He turned us into this." He too motioned down to his frame. "He turned us into killing perfection at the age of forty-two vorns."

"On that spark-orn we killed our first bots. A few of the other trainees that hadn't had a mentor as ruthless and clever as ours was." Sideswipe sighed. "We were no longer younglings. We were gladiators through and through. And I hate him for making us this, but at the same time I owe him for each breath I take. He taught us how to survive in a world that wanted us dead. He kept us safe from the vengeful fighters that hated us for what we were and he kept improving us until the only mech we couldn't best was him. That was a thing about him. He would never teach any of his students enough that they could surpass him. Because there was a high chance that one orn he'd face them in the arena."

"He taught us everything he knew though. From the way to never be beaten to the way he lived. It was him that taught us too never get close to something you couldn't replace. Which in itself was a foolish thing to try and teach twins." Sunstreaker snorted. "We had each other and that was something we'd never be able to replace. For him though that was the way it was. There had been hundreds before us that he did the same thing too and there would be hundreds after us. To him we were just a couple of twerps with a higher chance of surviving what got thrown at us. So he took us under his blade and tried to give us the skills to keep from dying too gruesome of a death. He turned us into monsters. Because only the brutal and the ruthless survived in that place. If you had a weakness it was exploited by any and all around you. Which was why he pushed us twice as hard. We needed each other and that was a weakness so we had to be able to overcome that. He taught us how to slaughter just as good apart as we did together. He taught us that our sparks were more valuable than any other that would come to face us. So that we could kill and it not matter. By the time we were grown and fighting for our lives before those screaming crowds begging for spilled energon . . . it didn't. Not to me."

"He made monsters." Sideswipe said. "Because only the monsters walked away. So that was what we became. We fought, we killed, and we won by ourselves and together. We never lost a battle. But we did lose ourselves."

"Our last night in that place they had separated us after a fight." Sunstreaker's voice grew cold and dark. "It didn't really matter anymore. They separated us all the time because I never knew when to quit. I had stopped valuing all life . . . even my own. I guess some small part of me that hated what I had become wanted death so that was what I fought for. I guess that was why they did what they did, or maybe it was because they were afraid of us, nothing could beat us together or apart. So they did what would earn them stands full of spectators and rid them of two that they had lost control over. They pitted us against each other."

"When that door let me out of the dark and I found myself standing in the arena before Sunny I thought I was already dead." Sideswipe deflated. "I was sure it had to be some horrible nightmare. Because not even the Pit Maker would force me against my own twin in a battle to the death that in the end would kill us both. No mech was that cruel. Not even us. The Emperor was though. He was no longer pleased with his twin toys and wanted rid of them. So he turned us on each other."

"And I tried to kill him." Sunstreaker's voice was hardly over a whisper now but in the silence that had taken over the medical bay it sounded like thunder. "Maybe it was the suicidal part of me, maybe I just really had gone that mad, I don't know. I just know that I came out of a daze from all those screaming bots demanding energon to find that it was Sides that was laying under my blades. He didn't fight back. Stupid idiot should have fought back!"

"I wasn't going to fight you." Sideswipe gave a dark chuckle. "If we were going to die so be it. I was okay with death by your hand. At least it would be over for both of us. I hadn't know you in a long time anyway. You didn't know me when you looked at me and I didn't know you. We were living in an energon soaked daze just waiting for the next battle to test ourselves in. I just woke from it faster than you when I entered that arena."

"Yeah . . . ." Sunstreaker murmured. "I only woke from it two nano-klicks before I drove my blades through your spark chamber."

"Well hey at least you stopped."

"Mute it you half wit."

"We've been over this half wit stuff."

"I will still scrap you."

"You know you love me."

"Like a rust rash."

"Awe brotherly love."

SMACK

"Oww!" Sides leaned away rubbing the back of his head glaring over at Sunny who glared back at him crossing his arms over his chest with a huff. "Aren't we supposed to be telling a story?"

"You needed a good smack." Sunny snorted before continuing on. "Anyway, when I came too and realized what I was about to do I refused to fight anymore."

"That was not something you did in the Rings." Sides nodded. "They tended to fry you where you stood for trying that. To this orn it's still all kinda a blur how we got out. One klick Sunny was hauling me back to my feet and the next we'd blown up half the stands running away. It was really quite the fireworks display. Wheeljack would have taken notes."

"Never saw anybot we knew from the inside again. Not War, not Dustoff, not any of the ones we actually sorta liked." Sunstreaker went on. "As crazy as it sounds bots did form friendships down there, they were guarded and sort of forced because you never knew when you might have to slay that bot you called friend, but they were there all the same. You grew up around those faceplates that had survived beside you and the new ones that came along proved themselves to be capable fighters. We were all suffering the same fate so it was easy to find a sort of connection. Even if it was born out of energon lust and pain. We don't know if they died there or if they got out. Guess some did. Breakdown and Knockout showed up with Mega-idiot. So who knows what happened to the rest of them, but we never looked back. We just ran. Or more like Sides ran and drug me along. I was ashamed of what I had almost done and it took me a good while to get over it."

"Don't let him fool you." Sides spoke up. "He's not over it. He just is better about it. I forgave him. Pit, I was okay with it. I was as screwed up as he was. He just won't forgive himself."

"That doesn't mean I won't beat you into a pulp." Sunny snarled.

"Loves you too."

SMACK

"Pit! Stop doing that!"

"Stop being an idiot then!"

The red twin whined rubbing his head while the golden one rolled his optics shaking his head.

"We are severely screwed up you know that?" Sides mumbled rubbing his bruised audio horn.

"Oh yeah."

"Moving on though," Sideswipe turned his attention back to the three that were still staring at him in stunned disbelief. The red warrior paused just the slightest bit to make sure they were each still breathing before he went on. "You found us not long after that, and the rest is history I guess. We joined up with you mechs, started killing for a purpose, and were still spiraling out of control down an endless abyss . . . until Half Pint came along."

"Greatest damn thing that ever happened to us." Sunstreaker sighed.

"Besides joining up with you mechs." Sides added. "If that hadn't of happened who knows where we would have ended up. Probably would have just run right off the end of the world."

"Would have kept going until somebot killed us." Sunstreaker agreed.

"And since we never lose." Sides added.

"The chances of that happening were slim."

Silence followed their shocking tale and for a good few long moments both just glanced between the three faceplates that stared back at them before both gazes settled on the medic they trusted with everything they had. He was staring at them like he thought they might vanish in a poof of smoke at any moment and it made both the mechs cringe.

"See that's why we never told you." Sides breathed out. "It's not a pretty story, and you were going to look at us like that."

"We don't want your pity." Sunstreaker narrowed his gaze. "We don't need it. We are what we are and what happened, happened. You knowing and us telling isn't going to change any of that. The only reason we told you was because you needed to know what we know about that place. What he was describing is the Rings."

"So that means that Bee is from the same place that turned us into murderous monsters." Sides finished. "Which is a _really _bad thing."

* * *

**Who saw that coming?**

**Come on, some one had too! **

**Oh why do I enjoy torturing Sunny and Sides so? What did they ever do to deserve the agonizing backstory I've cooked up for them? **

**And darling little Bumblebee. The truth is I'm cruel to the youngling. Because that was only the tip of the iceberg. Bee's past gets _way _darker.**

**But I have to keep things interesting, right? **

**On another note,**

**Wardrums! Oh how I love him! The psychotic jerk. He finally gets mentioned. I've waited _forever _for that! Dustoff, how I love him. The only mech in that pit with his head on straight. Sort of. And Fairlane, such a sweetspark. A part of me feels bad that I've already killed her off. But I'll get over it.**

**So yeah, the twins past finally comes to light. Explains a lot about them doesn't it? **

**Then somehow it ties in with Bumblebee's. Because he was sparked in the Rings. **

**As Sides said. That is a _really _bad thing.**

**Well as usual guys please read and review. You know what reading what you guys think means to me. I want to know what you thought. Especially of this one. I want to know where you think I'm headed and what you thought of what happened to Sunny and Sides. Did I do them justice? Did everything make sense? **

**Next chapter will be more of Bumblebee being his normal adorable self, Ironhide and Optimus facing a truth they were afraid of, Ratchet and the twins being possibly more adorable than Bee (If that is possible. Which it might be.) and than New Vorns with our lovable Autobots. I love chapter 3, its so much fun, so I hope to see you there! Reviews make me write faster by the way!**

**Hope you guys are liking it as much as I do!**

**Chat with ya later!**

**-Jay**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. Just the plot and OCs. **

**Once again, thank you guys for the reviews!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 3

Bumblebee toddled across Bluestreak's room carrying a can of paint that was twice as big as him making him look even more adorable as he struggled with the thing he wouldn't let Blue or Jazz or Prowl help him with. Jazz and Blue were laying on their bellies on the floor with him as he placed the can down next to his giant blank canvas before him while Prowl reclined at Bluestreak's desk reading some data pads while also watching what the youngling was up too. He had comm linked Optimus when the twins dropped him off.

He was now aware that something unsettling was going on, but he had not yet been told what it was about.

So he was weighing the options about what could be happening however, he found the youngling's giggles sort of distracting.

"So Lil' Bee," Jazz chuckled as he watched the youngling plop down before his big blank canvas. "What you up too?"

"Finish presents."

"Oh," Bluestreak grinned. "You're making more presents?"

"Yep," Bee smiled back at him before sticking his little brush into the closest can of black paint.

"And why did you need me?" Jazz questioned.

"Need holo picture." Bee turned his attention to the silver mech his optics suddenly very serious.

"Of what?"

"Meta Roan." The little youngling speaking the name of the long ago destroyed crystal forest made every mech in the room stare at him in shock for a moment.

"How do you know that place, Bee?" Jazz tilted his head truly amazed that Bee could possibly know about Meta Roan. He didn't recall telling him about it.

"Sunny told me 'bout it." Bumblebee shrugged. "Said that one time really long time ago he and Sides saw it. When they going someplace. Said they liked it and wish could see again. So me gonna paint it for Sides' and Sunny's present."

"That's real sweet of you, Bumblebee." Bluestreak reached out petting the little mech between his antennas. Bee chirped happily and purred at the action before looking back at Jazz.

"Know they not like New Vorn, but maybe can change that."

Jazz couldn't force himself to smile as he slowly sighed. "Bee I don't have any pictures of Meta Roan."

Bumblebee's bright smile fell as his hope suddenly faded. "Huh?"

If Jazz didn't have one what was he going to do?

"I have one." Prowl spoke up drawing all the bots attention. Picking himself up from his chair he walked over to come and sit cross-legged beside the little youngling who quickly scrambled into his lap.

"Really?" Bee asked hopefully.

In response Prowl pulled a data pad out of subspace, sent the image filed away in his processor to the pad, and then held the image before Bumblebee. The look of absolute wonder on the little one's faceplate made even the seemingly emotionless SIC smile.

In simple terms there was nothing like Meta Roan in any other galaxy. There really was nothing like it on Cybertron either anymore. Crystal City had once been a empire of singing metal and stones much like Praxus before the 'Cons leveled them, but once before all of Cybertron was reduced to ruble there had been a magical place between the cities that was revered as a place of wonder and peace. Towering structures that seemed to reach the two moons of Cybertron and beyond stood glitering in the light of night and day. They were magnificent creations of metal and stone fused together by a long dead volcanic explosion of sorts that created a small wonderland of so many dazzling colors the stars had once been jealous. The towering crystals were not shaped like the buildings and structures of the two once great cities which was probably why the place was never made into a city by the ancients of Cybertron. This expanse of magic was an interconnected network of light that formed more in the image of trees than metal or stone. Massive, rainbow like, glittering with the light of the sun trees. There was really no other way to describe them. They swayed and danced in the wind and the rain, singing songs Bumblebee wished with all his spark he would have been able to hear. The picture on the data pad before him truly didn't do the place justice, even if it was magnificent, no picture would ever be able to capture the beauty of that place. There was something in Bee that sang at the sight and told him it was a billion times more wonderful than what that image said.

_Yes._ He smiled to himself.

That would do perfectly.

Clicking happily he stanched up the data pad and laid it beside him, picked up his little brushes, and went to work using everything Sunstreaker had taught him up to now.

This was going to be perfect!

* * *

"I don't want it to be true." Ironhide sighed, leaning heavily on Optimus' desk as if without its support he might crash to the floor. They had left Ratchet with the twins upon his request and were now discussing between themselves what to make of all of this. "_None _of it!"

"I'd give anything to change it." Optimus whispered his faceplate resting in his hands as his elbows held him up on his desk. In that moment he no longer looked like the mighty leader of the Autobots. He looked much more like that young mech from so long ago who had destiny thrust upon him far too young. The mech that had to face the truth of what his brother had done to him and the rest of Cybertron. Put simply, he looked very broken.

Just like Ironhide did.

"But we can't change it, Hide." He sighed. "All we can do is move forward with it."

"I don't know what to snap about first!" Ironhide hissed trying to keep his cannons from whirling to life. "That I hated that all that happened to the twins or that Bumblebee came from a place like that."

"Where he came from doesn't matter." Optimus glared down at his hands.

It's wouldn't matter! He wouldn't let it matter! Bumblebee was theirs and no place of creation was ever going to change that!

"All that matters is that he is with us now."

"But the not knowing!" Ironhide sank into the chair across the desk his voice torn between a growl and a whine. "My processor is coming up with more horrifying things than I can tell you. I need to know the truth!"

"He is too young to have known the truth. Whatever the reason and the purpose behind him all that we can go on is that his carrier escaped that place and she took him with her. They probably ended up in Altihex sometime before Megatron attacked the city."

"So she escaped one pit just to die in another." Ironhide whispered.

"She saved, Bumblebee." Optimus countered.

"She died for him." Ironhide rested his faceplate in his hands. "And one orn I'm going to have to tell him all this."

"He knows she is gone." Optimus sighed, hating that the little mech did know that. He knew his carrier was gone. He'd known since the night they found him, and each and every bot in the crew hated that fact. Bee was to young to know such pain. He was too young to have known so much death and destruction. "He's known that for a long time. That is not something that never needs to be revisited unless he asks, but he doesn't know about the Rings. He is too young to have it explained to him."

"So what?" Ironhide mumbled around his fingers. "We just go on like nothing has happened. Knowing that he has nightmares! Knowing that he was sparked in the worst place in Cybertron's history! Knowing that I can't do anything to make that better. He's too fraggin' curious and sooner or later he's going to want to know things! He asked about their scars, and he's going to ask more things. I can't look him in the optics and tell him that his Sire was probably some murderous mech that would have killed him as soon as look at him!"

"_You_ are his Sire, Ironhide." Optimus' sharp gaze snapped up and held Hide's tortured one. "As far as he is concerned. That is all he cares about. We know that, the universe knows that, and for now there is no amount of fact based information that we know as of yet. Other than what Trickster said and he made it quite clear that we can never tell Bee. So in truth there is nothing we can offer him. One orn he'll want to know about what he sees in his recharge and then we and the twins will have to tell him what we know about the Rings. He'll put the rest together himself. He's clever, he will. The only other thing we can do now, Hide, is love him and try to keep those nightmares from coming."

"Why has he never told either of us about them?!"

"I intended to find that out." Optimus assured him. "But for now we are going to give him the New Vorns Eve he wants. It's all we can do."

The two powerful mechs sat in silence a moment longer before Ironhide's low protective growl echoed around the room.

"He's _mine_! I don't care about anything else. _He's mine! _And the moment somebot tires to say otherwise I'm going to tear them to pieces. Sparked in the Rings or not he his _nothing _like those places!"

"I know, Hide." Optimus said quietly. "And so do you."

"But how am I supposed to explain to him that his carrier was probably an interface slave!? How am I supposed to tell him that she probably had no say in the matter of his creation!? How and I supposed to look him in the optics and tell him that!? How Optimus!?" Ironhide choked on his words before the last one came out in a broken mumble. "How?"

The Prime let out a shaky sounding breath. "That . . . I don't know."

* * *

"Stop looking at us like that!" Sunstreaker snarled tossing his cube of energon across the desk. It sailed for a few feet and crashed into the wall next to where Ratchet sat. The yellow and red medic didn't even flinch, but Sideswipe did.

"Jeez, Sunny. Your aim sucks."

SMACK

"Oww!"

"Mute it!"

Sides sat there beside his brother with a sparkling like pout on his faceplate as he rubbed the side of his head. "Did any mech ever tell you that you're abusive, Sunshine?"

"I will murder you." The golden mech warned his optics dark and narrow.

"Well you are."

Another fist rose while Sides just grinned, but Ratchet's voice stopped them. "Anybot ever tell the two of you that you act like you are related?"

They paused for a klick looking over at him before answering together. "Actually . . . no."

"Surprising. You should have seen Arcee and her sisters when they went after each other. It was never as violent as you too, but pretty much the same." He smiled slightly. A sad, lost kind of smile.

The twins stilled as they stared at him.

They didn't like seeing Ratchet downcast. It didn't fit him.

Throwing wrenches at their stupid afts fit him.

With a slight glance between them they spoke.

"Wish we could have met this femme of yours, Wrench." Sides said.

"Would have liked to see the femme that could actually put up with you." Sunstreaker added.

Ratchet snorted. "She was unlike any other."

"If she was anything like Quickfire then I image." Sides laughed. "I feel bad for that pour fool Mirage when he finally comes crawling back."

"She's gonna scrap him." Sunstreaker chuckled.

"After she kisses him of course."

"Oh yeah."

"Will you two knock it off?" Ratchet groaned not liking the picture in his head of his little might-as-well-be sister kissing _any _mech. Gah! He did _not_ need that picture.

"What?" They echoed innocently.

"You're both awful." He rolled his optics.

"What?" Sides snickered. "We like Fire. She's cool."

"Saved Bee."

"Feisty femme."

"To bad she's hung up on that noble."

"Yeah,"

"Enough." Ratchet warned his gaze darkening as the pair of idiots almost giggled at him from where they sat in the chairs across from his desk. "You're not going to smooth talk your way out of this one."

That muted their giggles pretty quick.

"Come one, Ratchet." Sides mumbled.

"We told you." Sunny glared. "Let it go."

"I can't do that." Ratchet's optics swam with a sort of pain that made them both look away. They didn't want him to look at them like that. That wasn't why they told him.

They told him because he cared.

And they knew he cared.

So it was time he knew the truth.

Besides, it had everything to do with Bumblebee. They most likely would have never told anybot if it hadn't of been for Bee being connected to it. Now though the truth was out, and they were going to have to live with the repercussions. Even if they didn't want too.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" The broken way that Ratchet mumbled it sliced through both twins' sparks making Sideswipe sink down in his chair while Sunstreaker crossed his arms and glared down at the desk that separated the pair from the first bot in their history they'd ever fully trusted with everything that they were. All their faults, all their gifts, now all their secrets, and in truth had fully just bared their souls too hoping he wouldn't toss them aside like the worthless scrap that deep down inside them they were secretly very afraid they might be.

They didn't tell him because they were ashamed . . . afraid . . . but neither one knew how to say that.

So they stayed quiet.

Ratchet stared at them a while longer before he sighed. "Why? Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, _why_ didn't you tell me?"

"Because you were going to look at us like that!" Sunstreaker snarled as he mentally tried to figure out how he was going to get out of this damn room. He couldn't come up with an exit plan though, not one that Sides would follow him with, so he sat there and pouted. What else could he do? There was no other course to take, they'd already come this far, so he was stuck.

He hated being stuck.

"Am I supposed to take it another way?" Ratchet narrowed his gaze at them. Did they really think he could hear all that and it not break something inside him? Did they really think that he didn't care? Sure he was tougher on them then probably any other mech on this ship, but it was only because of that fear that lived down in his spark of one orn they'd get drug into his medical bay so thoroughly trashed that not even he could put them back together again. It was a thin, dangerous, line they danced around every nano-klick of their lives with the way they lived, and Ratchet was secretly terrified of losing them.

They were the sons he always wanted, as scary and glitchy as that sounded. He always figured if he and Arcee had ever had sparklings they would probably be no different than these two psychotic over grown younglings with tempers as short as his.

Didn't they know that?

Didn't they know that he loved them? That they were his family.

This ship was their family.

After all this time did they still think they were taking this world on alone?

Now he understood why they did. _Primus!_ If he ever found out who that bastard Sire of theirs was he'd tear his spark out himself just to see if he had one. How!? How could a Sire do that to his own sparklings!?

_Abominations_! He had called them abominations!

There weren't fraggin' abominations!

Suddenly the medic went very still. He wondered, had any bot ever told them that besides that nurse they spoke of?

When they still remained silent Ratchet rolled his optics, took a deep breath, reached into his subspace, and nailed them both in the forehead with a pair of screwdrivers.

"OWW!" Sides hollered at the unexpected assault flailing back in his chair kind of comically while Sunstreaker just snarled across the desk the slightest hint of a scratch marring his perfect paint.

"You are _not _abnormal abominations." Ratchet told them pointedly.

The glaring and the growling stopped as their optics suddenly found his floor very interesting.

"You really think so?" Sides mumbled.

"Do I lie to you?" Ratchet narrowed his gaze.

"No."

"Then you have your answer."

"I am _no _abomination." Sunstreaker crossed his arms with a huff looking across the medic's office. Anywhere but him. "I am perfect. In every shape and form. Even the half attached to him." A thumb jammed in Sideswipe's direction.

The red warrior snorted. "Love ya too, bro."

"Don't call me that."

"Sunshine?"

A deep growl.

"Sunflower?"

A deeper growl.

"Oh! I got it! Sunny-mechling!"

SMACK

"OWW!" Sides suddenly found himself on the floor rubbing his noseplate. "Why does every mech on this ship hit me!?"

"Because you're an idiot." Sunstreaker grumbled as he straightened himself in his chair.

"Well you're the other half of an idiot." Sideswipe shot back slightly annoyed as he hauled himself back up into his chair. His antics at trying to distract himself were proving to be rather painful for his noseplate. Maybe he should lay off. Just the slightest bit.

"You two really will do anything to not have to have this conversation won't you?" Ratchet rolled his optics.

"Yep." They rang out together.

The CMO just stared at them making them fidget.

"It's in the past, Wrench." Sides whispered. "Why can't you just leave it there?"

"Because—" The medic cut his bellow off letting it sigh out before he too replied in a whispered. "Your Sire _hurt _you."

"Yep." Sunstreaker shrugged as if it was an every orn type of thing. As if it wasn't horrible. As if it hadn't done more damage to him than he'd ever let anybot beside his twin know.

"We got over that a long time ago." Sides added, but the words sounded false even to him.

Because it was a lie.

Ratchet could see that it was. He knew them that well. Sometimes he thought he might know them better than they knew themselves.

"You're lying." He stated.

Sides went ridged.

"You are excellent at a good many things, Sideswipe. However, lying is not one of them."

"Talking about it won't change anything." Sideswipe huffed. "So why live in the past?"

"Because the two of you can't bottle up and bury _everything_!" Ratchet pleaded. "It will destroy you from the inside out!"

"That's going to happen sooner or later, Wrench." Sunstreaker sighed. "Nothing you do is going to change that."

"It could if you would let me try and help!"

"Not even you can fix all of us, Ratchet." Sides lifted his gaze to offer the medic a sad smile. "We're going to implode one orn and nothing you do will stop that. We don't know when to stop because we can't stop. If we stop we think and thinking is bad. So we don't do it. We fight, we thrash, we prank, we paint, we laugh, we beat each other into scrap, we annoy you, and we trail after that little yellow gift from Primus . . . that is what we do. And we're okay with that."

"We're better now than we've ever been." Sunny added. "All of that is thanks to you and Half Pint . . . and I guess this whole psychotic glitchy family of ours. Okay . . . yeah . . . even I admit it. You mechs are our family. As much as that annoys me. We did the one thing Wardrums said we could never do. We got close to something we could never replace . . . all of you. You . . . and Bee. Pit! Even slaggin' Ironhide! The glitch."

Sides chuckled at Sunny stumbling over the words. He knew better than to let his twin get frustrated though so he picked it up. "We might even be the slightest bit fond of Gears."

"If we weren't he'd be dead."

"Oh yeah."

"He's annoying."

"But amusing to mess with."

"It's fun to make him hate us more."

"Loads of fun."

"You're doing it again." Ratchet pointed out.

They both paused. "Oh."

"Is that really all of it?" Ratchet questioned not sure he really wanted to know but unable to keep himself from asking.

"The jest of it." Sides shrugged. "We did a lot, saw a lot, and survived a lot or horror we will never tell you but that isn't because we don't trust you, Ratchet. It's things we try to forget. We just . . . when Bumblebee came along we stopped trying to run from our past."

"He made us realize that we have stuff to live for now and that running wasn't going to get us anywhere but in an early grave." Sunstreaker sighed.

"And we can't do that to him. We can't leave him. So we started trying to piece ourselves back together little by little." Sideswipe said.

"It's working. Slowly. We told you guys. Never thought we'd get there, but we did. So we're doing okay, Wrench."

"We're trying; for you, for him, for Prime, and for this whole damn war."

"Because we're going to see the end of it."

"We aren't going to let that place best us."

"We never lose."

"Never have."

"Never will."

"If there are more questions you want to ask we'll do our best to answer them. Some we might not be able too, but we'll try. We don't want to be sparkless murderers. We don't want to be monsters. We're good at it and we're proud to defend this cause, but . . . we wanna be around to watch Half Pint grow up. We wanna be around to annoy you to the pit and back."

"And we intend to be." Sunstreaker finished. "Sooner or later we're going to pick the fight we can't win. That is how all warriors go out. We know that. We accept that. However, we are going to keep on fighting to keep it from happening for as long as we can. We owe it to our second chance."

Ratchet watched them as they trailed off into silence those dark blue optics staring back into his own so full of a haunting truth that he wanted with every part of him to fix. To wipe away the past and give them something better. He knew he could never mend the scars, they would always be there, but he could help their sparks heal. If they would let him.

Pit!

It didn't matter whether or not they wanted to let him. He was doing it anyway! Like it or not they were _his_ stupid, glitchy, accident prone, pair of menses. A small smile ghosted across his lips as he thought of how much Arcee would have adored them.

Sideswipe's antics.

Sunstreaker's personality.

She would have wrapped them up in that comforting, demanding, calm presence that had been her and she wouldn't have stopped until she fixed every dark memory that plagued them.

Yes.

She would have agreed with him. That they might as well be their creations. He cared about them like they were, just the same as he cared for Bumblebee.

It was in moments like these that he watched them in all their silent pride and quiet magnificence that he saw what they could have been. What they should have been.

Two brilliantly burning sparks—separate but a part of each other—that glowed with defiance and purpose. They might not be the norm, but they deserved to be here, and they would fight for that right to exist alongside every other creation of Primus.

No, they were no accident. No freak of nature.

They were unique.

They were here for a reason.

Just like Bumblebee.

And just like he was going to do for Bumblebee, he was going to make sure they had every chance to reach what they should have been.

"Well like it or not you two over grown foolish younglings." Ratchet rose from his desk waving a wrench in a half-spark threat before he threw it into subspace. He knew the way they needed to be handled. The way they wanted to be handled. The way that he was best at handling them. So that was what he was going to do. The gruff indifference they clung too and always came running back to. The fact that he cared, but wasn't afraid to smack them back into their fraggin' place when they stepped too far out of line. That was the way they worked. That was the way they were family. And he not so secretly needed it as much as they did. "You're stuck with me now. From here on out. I don't give a damn who you are or what you came from. All I care about is now. And right now you are the two most annoying glitches I've ever had the displeasure of having in my medical bay. You're always slaggin' scraping each other and if you don't lay the frag off of it for at least a Decacycle I'm going to weld your afts to the ceiling. Got that!? You're _my_ annoying Terror Twins now and I'll be the glitchy medic that does the foolish thing and takes up the notion to look after you both. I'm not gonna let you get yourselves scraped by no damn 'Con and I intend to make you keep that promise of sticking around to watch Bumblebee grow up! And of sticking around to annoy me. We're both gonna need ya."

As he marched across his office heading for the door the two stunned warriors watched him walk with their jaws hanging a little slack—not that Sunstreaker would ever admit to making such a face—their optics as wide as moons—once again not something the golden mech would admit too—and they stayed that way for a good few klicks as Ratchet picked up a few things that resembled presents that were placed here and there around the room before he turned back and lifted an optic ridge at them making both their jaws snap back into place.

"Well? Are you coming to New Vorns Eve with Bumblebee or are you going to go back to hiding away in your hole?"

For a moment longer both twins just stared at him in still shock before Sides swallowed harshly, sprang from his chair, and flew across the room before the CMO could blink about the fact that suddenly he was being hugged for dear life by the red glitchy frontliner.

He blinked in shock unsure of how he was supposed to respond to the happy purr of the ex-gladiator's engine before the mech pulled away with that dashing smile of his as his optics twinkled.

He looked over the stunned medic's faceplate for a moment before he patted him on the head like a cyber-puppy. "So much better than the first one."

And with that he practically danced out of the office leaving Ratchet standing there with his processor whirling trying to figure out if he'd just glitched and imagined all that before he suddenly found Sunstreaker standing _very_ close to him. Closer than Sunstreaker ever got to anybot that he wasn't trying to offline beside Bee or his twin.

Ratchet lifted an optic ridge again. "Are you going to hug me too?"

The golden mech snorted. "As if. I do not hug."

"Then why are you so fraggin' close to me?"

Those dark blue optics twinkled with something Ratchet didn't really think he was reading right before a half smirk flashed across Sunny's lips gone before Ratchet was even sure he'd really seen it as the mech whispered.

"Thank you. For everything . . . that you never had to do."

And then he was gone as well, though with much less prance in his step than his brother had had, leaving the medic standing there his arms full of gifts as he blinked.

_Did they just . . . accept . . . me as . . . .? _ A smile graced his lips as the thought over what they had said.

_Better than the _first_ one?_

Yeah.

They did.

With a grin he hid as he exited his office Ratchet walked toward the rec room in search of what was finally looking to be a very happy New Vorns Eve.

* * *

"I have a feeling this is going to go horribly wrong." Drift glanced at Blaster as the room filled up with mechs.

"Probably would have gone better if Sides hadn't left and then never came back." Blaster nodded sadly.

"Should we pull the plug?"

"Are you glitchy?" The orange-ish mech snapped under his breath. "I spent six hundred credits on that fraggin' thing! It's falling from the sky."

"But what happens when Prowl glitches?"

"Then the whole room dies laughing."

"Yeeeeeah," Drift drawled. "And then Ratchet the Hatchet beats us to death with a spoon."

"That's never bothered you before."

"He hasn't been smiling behind a cup of energon like that before." Drift mumbled as he watched the CMO sit at a table with the other commanding officers, a paint splattered youngling, and the twins.

Slaggin' Sides.

The traitor.

"He's up to something, or he knows something." Drift finished. "Sides might have told him."

"Sides would never rat us out." Blaster shook his head. "Besides Jazz helped me plan it. He knows too."

"Well at least we'll have somebot that jokes for the rest of our lives in the brig."

"You gotta stop being so negative, Drift." Blaster laughed nudging him in the shoulder. "It's New Vorns Eve! Lighten up!"

"What are you two scheming over here?"

Both mechs sat bolt upright in shock fully prepared to defend themselves to what had to be their commander only to let out a shared sigh when they realized it was only Bluestreak.

"Oh Blue," Blaster chuckled. "It's just you."

"Well glad to see you mechs too." Blue laughed plopping down in a chair beside Blaster and across from Drift as he sipped at his glittering cup of energon.

"We thought you might be Prowl . . . or worse Ratchet." Drift told him.

The young gunner grinned. "Oh? What you up too now?"

"You'll find out when the countdown ends."

"Ah, but I wanna know." Blue pleaded. "You can tell me! I won't tell. I can keep a secret, honest. I really can!"

"Bluestreak," Drift smiled at the younger mech. "No offence, but you couldn't keep a secret to save your hide."

The gunner pouted. "Can too."

"_Please_." Blaster laughed. "You're as bad as the youngling."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Not."

"Too."

"Not."

"Too."

"Not!"

"Too!"

"Not! Too! Not! Too! Not! Too! Nottoonottoontoonottoonottoonotoonottoo . . . ." Sides trailed off with a silly smirk as he seemingly poofed up at the table. "What? I thought we were playing a game?"

Bluestreak laughed while Drift and Blaster rolled their optics.

"We are, Sides." Blaster said. "It's called the Sides-never-came-back-to-help-us-finish-the-thing-it-was-that-we-were-doing game."

Sideswipe sat at the table beside Drift with a wave of his hand. "I got busy."

"Yet you aren't in the brig?" Drift asked.

"Probably will be by the end of the night."

"That makes the lot of us." The white and red mech sighed with a smile.

"Oh lighten up!" Sides smacked him in the shoulder. "This is pranking gold! This will go down in the fraggin' history books! There is just one problem."

"What's that?" Blaster leaned forward.

"I didn't think of it." Sides answered making all the mech around him laugh.

"Well you aren't claiming this one." Blaster retorted. "I spent too many credits on it."

"I'll take some of the blame though." Sides smirked. "Just to be a part of it."

"Okay, now I really want to know." Bluestreak whined.

"In time, young apprentice." Sides shared a playful grin with the young sniper. "In time."

"Don't let Prowl hear you call him that." Drift snorted.

"Yeah," Blaster added. "He's kinda over protective of his _young_ apprentice."

Bluestreak's doorwings lowered in embarrassment. "Awe knock it off you mechs. Prowl's a great teacher."

"Yep and he only has the patience to teach you. Something none of us understand seeming as most times you never stop talking. He tends not to teach a lot of mechs anyway." Blaster snickered. "Well besides Bee when Bee's older. He'll teach him. We all know that's gonna happen. Come to think of it, never really asked ya before, Blue. What's it like to no longer be our youngest little mechling?" The orange mech reached over and noogied the slightly larger mech behind his chevron. Blue laughed shoving him off trying to pretend that he couldn't feel Prowl watching him across the room. His mentor was curious as to what he was up too. He knew there would be questions later. Not that he minded.

"I embrace it." Blue chuckled shoving him away again. "No mech can call me youngling anymore."

"Oh yes we can." Drift grinned.

Blue's smile faltered a little.

"We just know it bugs you, so we don't." Sides relented.

"Strange thing coming from you." Bluestreak lifted an optic ridge.

"I can pick it up again, _Youngling_."

"No don't!" Blue waved his hands out in front of him quickly making the mechs around him laugh. He gave a half grin hoping they really wouldn't take up the nickname again before the clock on the far side of the room rang the bream. Every mech looked up and grinned.

One bream till the countdown.

Time for presents.

"I'M FIRST!" Sides hollered racing across the room and crashing into Hound and Trailbreaker his twin rolling his optics and following after him as the red warrior bounced—yes bounced—before the laughing brothers who tossed a box at both of them. They owed Sides for getting them a rare telescope not long ago so they both got the twins a gift. Much too Sunstreaker's surprise. He didn't do anything. His brother did. Though when you got one twin you got the other and the two scouts were too nice for their own good so Sunny figured that was what was behind it.

The rest of the room began to mingle even more, gifts being exchanged, when Bluestreak felt optics on his wings. Looking over his shoulder he found Bumblebee staring at him.

He smiled.

Of course! He'd almost forgot.

Springing up he waved by to the two mechs at the table that were grinning deviously and made his way over to the table where the youngling was hopping.

"Go get stuff!" Bee sang. "Go get stuff!"

"Alright, we'll go get the stuff." Bluestreak laughed at him scooping up him off the table and tossing him up so the little mech was straddling his neck his little yellow fingers playing with the tall red chevron atop the gunner's forehead.

"You hid these mysterious presents he keeps talking about?" Ironhide lifted an optic ridge at the sniper his pervious worries and mood having been put aside when he caught sight of how happy his charge was.

Blue faked mock horror. "What? You don't think I'm good enough for him to trust?"

"That's not it," Hide chuckled. "You just can't keep a secret to safe your aft."

Once again Blue pouted.

"Why does every mech say that?"

"Because it's true, Blue." Jazz patted him lightly on the arm while the off tone grey mech rolled his optics and started for the door.

"Whatever," He called over his shoulder. "We'll be back, I suggest you all have his gifts ready."

"Presents!" Bee cried happily as the door shut behind him though he could still hear the mechs of his family chuckle at his voice.

As the young sniper walked down the long glittering black halls of _Eternity _he smiled as Bee swung his little feet bouncing them off Blue's armor while he giggled and pulled at his chevron.

"You excited, Bee?"

"Yep!" Bee giggled. What kind of question was that? Was he excited? Duh!

This was New Vorns Eve!

Sunny and Sides weren't sad anymore—something he was planning to make permanent—and his whole family was laughing together having a good time. On top of that it was time to open present!

How could he _not _be excited?

"You happy, Blue?" He asked.

"If you're happy than I'm happy, Bumblebee."

"Want everybot be happy." Bee nodded seriously as they rounded the corner that lead to Bluestreak's quarters.

Blue glanced at him as best he could with the little mech sitting around his neck. "You do that a lot don't you?"

Bee leaned around so that his big baby blue optics twinkled at Bluestreak's light bright blue ones. "Happy good."

"Yeah, Bee it is. Just let me tell you something it took me a while to figure out." He said as he keyed in the code to his room and they stepped inside.

"What?"

"You aren't responsible for every other bots happiness, alright?" The normal playful tone of the young grey mech slipped out of his voice as he let Bee down onto his desk why the shuffled around collecting the boxes that he had stashed and helped get for the little mech over the last few orns.

Bee blinked at him.

He didn't really understand what that meant.

When Blue looked back at him the sniper realized that he didn't. With a sigh he sat all the boxes down, pulled up a chair, pulled the youngling into his lap, and leaned back looking down at him while he stared up in return.

"You're too young for me to really explain it." Bluestreak sighed. "So I'll leave it at this. You're not always going to be able to make _every _bot smile, Bee. Sometimes not even your level of adorableness is going to make everything better. So don't get too down if Sides and Sunny don't magically love New Vorns and stuff like it from here on out. Okay?"

Bee pouted. "But want them to be happy."

"And they are happy." Blue assured him cupping his little cheek and pulling him back up to look at him. "They are happy with this family and the crazy lot of us. They are happy with you being their Half Pint. Just because they don't love New Vorns as much as you and me do doesn't mean that they won't be happy, and you aren't responsible to make them happy all the time."

"Yes me is." Bee argued.

Bluestreak shook his head. "No. You're responsible for doing what we tell you, drinking your energon, reading your lessons, not snaking off too much, and being a good little youngling. That's the only things you are responsible for. Now on the up side you pretty much make every mech chipper all the time anyway so you're pulling it off well. But I don't want you sad if it doesn't always end in a smile."

Bumblebee wasn't really sure what all Blue said meant, but he nodded trying to figure it out. If he wasn't supposed to make every mech happy, than what was he here for? He was too small to be of any use. His use was making every mech happy.

At least the way he saw it.

"It just took me a while to figure that out, Bumblebee. And I still try even when I know I can't make everything better. I just want you to know that it isn't your fault if some mech is a little down."

"Know that." Bee shrugged. "Just don't like."

"Well you and me both little brother." Bluestreak rubbed him between the antennas before tossing him back to his spot, picked up all the presents, and went on a march back to the party.

"Maybe," Bee said as he swayed with Blue's movement. "With both us we make better."

Bluestreak smiled brightly.

"I hope you're right, Bee. I hope you're right."

* * *

There were presents everywhere.

_Everywhere_.

And Bumblebee absolutely loved it.

Every member of his family was running around the rec room, throwing gifts at each other, laughing, carrying on, eating, drinking, playing, and just all around enjoying themselves. Even the twins. Who had gotten a few gifts and given a few. They were laughing quite freely as they threw streamers at Trailbreaker and Hound. Bee was interested in the gifts that had been given to other members of him family, but to be honest he was far more concerned with what he got and gave.

So he demanded that he got his presents before he gave any.

His loving caretakers thought it was just the youngling being a youngling, but they were wrong. Bee wanted them to get their gifts after him because he wanted to see every moment of everything. So he tore into his mountain of gifts. There were vid games, a total assortment of stuffed toys and action figures, he received more coloring pages than he knew what to do with, paints, canvas, novels, board games, a few play ships with lights and buzzing blasters—courtesy of Wheeljack who got smacked over the audios with a wrench until he assured a very angry medic and guardian that there was _nothing _in there that could blow up—he even got a few data pads full of images of foreign planets and of Cybertron back when it looked like he and every other bot around him knew he might never see.

In all he was more than ecstatic and he proved this by the giggles, hugs, and kisses he gave out. Then once he had reached the bottom of his gifts he plopped himself down in the center of the pile of presents that he had a little help in acquiring and started with Prowl.

Giggling quite dramatically to himself as every little part in his frame vibrated with sheer joy he watched the strict SIC lift an optic ridge at him before he slowly and carefully opened the small white and red wrapped package and found something that made his optics widen ever so slightly. Most would have missed it, but Bee didn't. Just as Bluestreak—who not so secretly high-fived the little mech—didn't while the other commanding officers leaned around to see what had Prowl looking at it in shock.

When Jazz caught sight of it he grinned like a fool shooting Blue—who he _knew _helped the youngling get that—a look though the young grey sniper had suddenly made himself vanish into the crowd as if he'd never been there at all.

Prowl's present wasn't sparkly or handmade, but it was perfect for the mech. It was a digitized copy of an earth novel that Wheeljack had come across on one of his many investigations into the strange place. A novel called _The_ _Art of War_.

Bee beamed like a solar flare when the white and black mech looked down at him with a smile reaching out and petting him between his flickering with joy antennas.

"Thank you, Bumblebee. I look forward to reading it."

"Blue helped." Bee chirped.

"I imagine he did."

"'Kay!" Bee spun around for the next gift. "Jazzy next!"

The silver mech blinked in shock. "Me?"

"Duh!" Bee laughed, tossing a small gold box his way.

The saboteur caught it with ease and opened it with must less smooth patience than Prowl had. The mechs around him rolled their optics in amusement as he tore into it with the excitement Bumblebee normally did. What he found made him still his movements though and just stare down in silence.

Something Jazz never did.

Ever.

Jazz was never speechless.

But he was now.

Which his might-as-well-be brothers found very interesting.

Bee just grinned.

Turning it over in his almost claws like fingers the silver mech held a small data chip that appeared to be one that housed recorded video with a name sticker over the top of it that had scribbled in very youngling like print the words 'Music with Jazzy'. Jazz blinked, looked up at Bumblebee, looking back at the chip, blinked again, looked back at Bee, and then stared at the chip.

No other mech knew that Jazz was teaching Bee about music, about how to play Cybertronian instruments. At least he hadn't thought they did.

Though when he glanced across the room past the giggling youngling to find Sides and Sunny not to discreetly watching he grinned.

Looking back to Bee he closed the chip tightly in one hand, scooped up Bee in the other, and quickly squished the little mech to him hugging him as the youngling giggled throwing his arms around his neck and earning himself a kiss between his antennas.

"Thanks, Lil' Bee." Jazz whispered, looking forward to finding out just what was on the chip.

Bee clicked happily.

"How about the twins next?" Jazz asked him.

Bee nodded quickly in response. "Sides! Sunny!"

In a flash of red and golden the forms of the twins were at the youngling's beck and call.

"What's up, Half Pint?" Sideswipe questioned most of his bright ruby red colored frame covered in sticky string—one of Wheeljack's latest inventions—and colorful streamers. As per normal Sunstreaker didn't have a blemish on him but he was grinning more than normal.

Bumblebee scrambled down Jazz's frame, toddle across the table, and slid a light blue wrapped package to the pair of warriors. They tilted their heads in unison which Bee found secretly kind of funny as they stared down at him.

"You got us something?" Sunstreaker asked.

"No Sunny, he just wants us to look at it." Sideswipe chuckled.

"Don't make me smack you in front of the youngling." The golden warrior growled cutting his optics to his brother.

Sides muted it.

It was best not to have fist fights in front of Bumblebee. He didn't like them and Optimus, Ironhide, and Ratchet liked them even less. Even if most of the time Ironhide and Ratchet were the ones doing most of the damage to whoever it was that annoyed them at present.

"'Corse got ya something." Bee rolled his optics and pushed the box the last bit to the twins.

"Cool!" Sideswipe laughed, snatching it up and holding it up to his audios shaking it back and forth.

Bee giggled while Sunstreaker rolled his optics.

"You're gonna break it you idiot."

"Am not

"Are too."

"Am not."

SMACK

"Oww! Not again!" Sides moaned rubbing his shoulder fiercely as Sunny snatched the package from him while Bumblebee shook his head dramatically trying to hide his amusement. He really wished sometimes those two wouldn't smack each other so much. He knew it was how Sunstreaker dealt with emotions he didn't know how to handle or express, even his youngling self could understand that, but he wished he could come up with some way to help Sunny not have to smack so much.

"You are a glitch you know that?" Sunstreaker huffed.

"You said no hitting in front of the youngling!"

"Well stop being stupid and I wouldn't have to hit you!"

"You know if I hit you as much as you hit me and every other bot we'd both be—"

"Dead?" Jazz put in with a chuckled.

"Yeah!" Sides threw a hand out nodding at the saboteur.

At that point Bee was pouting at the pair of them with his arms crossed and his little foot tapping on the table.

Ironhide, Optimus, and Ratchet found that picture kind of adorable.

"Sides," The little mech mumbled.

The twins went of arguing snatching the package back and forth.

"Sunny?" Bee sighed when neither mech even cast him a glance. Looking back over his shoulder he blinked those big baby blue optics at Ironhide.

The ebony mech smirked down at him.

"I think you lost 'em, Bee."

Bee pouted for a few more klicks.

They were still arguing.

"Hide," The little mech whined. "Fix it."

A devious grin spread across the massive mech's lips and in one sparkbeat Optimus' hands flew up to cover his audios while Ratchet leaned away doing the same when in a flash of black metal and a whirl of plasma the weapons specialist lifted a cannon toward the ceiling and fired.

The initial shock was every mech in the room snapped to attention a few weapons programs shifting into action as every optic in the room locked on the smoking plasma cannon held above Ironhide's head. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker had been mid fist pulled back at each other only to freeze mid throw with their gift now laying forgotten on the table and spin to face the massive black mech.

"What the—"

Ironhide cut the red warrior off letting his cannon fall as he narrowed his gaze at the pair. "_Don't_ ignore my youngling."

There was a moment longer of still silence before the room burst into laughter and went back to mingling while Bumblebee beamed even brighter bouncing on his feet as the twins rolled their optics dropping their fist.

"Spoiled bratling." Sunstreaker mumbled though he wore a smirk. The 'bratling' went right on grinning at him not at all bothered by the title.

_"You know we did most of the spoiling, bro. We can't say that." _Sides smiled over their bond.

_"I don't have to admit to that." _Sunstreaker retorted as he snatched up the gift before his twin could grab it and went to opening it as Bee began to bounce happily again on the table. The golden warrior ignored him so that he wouldn't have to work so hard to hide the smirk pulling at his lips while his brother leaned rather dramatically over him bouncing just as much as the youngling. The golden warrior also had to hide his optic roll at that. However, when he tore the layer of wrapping off the large rectangular shape the proud faceplate of the warrior fell slack and Sides' bouncing came to a rather abrupt end.

Bumblebee's didn't though.

He just grinned bigger than ever when both mechs just stared unblinking down at the canvas in the golden mech's hands as he slowly tore all the covering away. When it was free of all obscurities and the twins stayed silent Bee's bouncing stopped as well and he tilted his little head his antennas growing still in their flickering as he pulled nervously at his fingers.

Maybe he hadn't done good enough.

He was oblivious to the mechs around the table that watched him and the twins curiously—he couldn't even feel Ratchet's deep gaze—he was to focused on the fact that not even Sideswipe was talking. He just stood there dumbly at his brother's shoulder looking over the canvas with no emotion at all on his sculpted faceplate. When they wanted to be the twins really were hard to read and right now Bee was really wishing they weren't.

"Like it?" He whispered quietly knowing that even in the noise of the room they would hear him.

They stayed silent.

His bright baby blue optics found the table then as he concentrated on his right foot which he was twisting around slowly drawing circles with his toes. "Thought you'd like. Tried best could."

Suddenly a quiet squeak rang out over the room though it went unnoticed for the noise and Bee was suddenly dangling in the air by his scruff bar in Sunstreaker's hand. He found himself level with a pair of dark blue optics that swam with an emotion he really couldn't place, but the small smile that graced his lips told the youngling enough.

"Meta Roan." It wasn't a question as the golden warrior glanced at Sides who was grinning like an idiot as he held the abstract swirling forest of colors and shades that were almost touchable on the canvas.

"Said liked." Bee shrugged. "Happy New Vorns."

Sunstreaker grinned at him before sending a warm, welcoming, hug like pulse through the linked bond he and his twin shared with Bumblebee to which the little mech giggled at the feeling of sending it back double fold along with his smile as Sides did the same as his brother. Bumblebee knew that in this room full of bots not even Sideswipe would express the emotions flooding the little mech's spark out loud, but the feeling was enough.

They were happy.

Truly, honestly, and for the first time on this orn in a very long time . . . happy.

Because of Bee.

And he was on cloud nine.

"You know, Half Pint." Sides chuckled as he flashed the painting between the table and the youngling. The couple of mechs that hadn't seen Bee paint it optics widened at the sight and Sides handed it over to Ratchet when his hand came up. In the mean time Sides snatched up the youngling from his brother and cradled him against his spark petting him between the antennas earning himself a purr. "One of these orns you're gonna be better than Sunny."

Bee laughed shaking his head. "Nope."

"You might." Sunstreaker smiled softly over at him.

"Just have good teacher." Bee shrugged earning another warm pulse from both mechs and the others at the table before he scrambled down back to the middle of his now smaller pile of presents.

When Ratchet handed the gift back to the twins he paused a moment to rub the youngling affectingly on the head in a silent thanks before Blaster called out across the room demanding the twins presence.

"Thanks, Half Pint." Sides chuckled. "We'll be back."

"Maybe." Sunstreaker added as the two took their gift and went off to get Blaster down from the wall where Inferno had stuck him with Wheeljack's sticky spray.

"I can see that stuff becoming a problem." Prowl sighed.

"You can confiscate it _after _the party." Jazz laughed. "Let 'em have fun for tonight."

"It is almost New Vorns, Prowl." Optimus smiled at his SIC.

"The only reason I haven't said anything."

"Once again," Ratchet shook his head. "_Which _one of you is commander of this army?"

"It varies from orn to orn." Optimus' optics twinkled with mirth.

"Ain't that the truth?" Ironhide full on laughed.

The table of brothers laughed together quietly while Bee sat in the dead center of them smiling before he picked up a rather oddly shaped yellow package and toddled over to Ratchet. The medic snorted at him in amusement as the little mech stood before him holding it up proudly. The box was just about as big as him, but it was light weight enough that he could hold it with ease and peak over the top blinking his big optics up at his favorite medic.

"You got me something too?" Ratchet asked jokingly as he plucked the package from Bumblebee. Lifting it before him he gazed around the table. "Alright, which one of you helped with this?"

"Not me." Jazz shook his head.

"Nope." Hide did the same.

"I didn't even know he did all this." Optimus smiled.

All optics turned to Prowl.

"I only helped with the twins." The SIC shrugged innocently.

"Jacky helped." Bee chirped up.

The whole table went suddenly still and the medic leaned away from the package in his hand. For a moment the mechs all just stared at each other before Ratchet glanced across the room looking for Wheeljack. When he found the wacky inventor over trying to help Cliffjumper who was now 'magically' stuck to the wall he sighed turning back to Bee.

"This isn't going to blow up in my faceplate is it?" He questioned.

Bee paused making each mech around him nervous as he studied the package before he bit his lip and shook his head.

"Don't think so."

"That's reassuring." Ratchet mumbled.

"Okay word it this way," Jazz spoke up. "Jacky wasn't letting you play with explosives again was he?"

Bee kept his lip pinned between his teeth.

He promised he wasn't going to tell. They had fun. He wasn't ratting Jacky out. Besides no bot heard the boom.

However, when his silence stretched on his family had their answer.

"And now I'm going to scrap him." Ironhide growled pushing himself up from the table only to have Bee squeak at him when he was half way up.

"No! Didn't hurt nothin'!"

"Not the point, Squirt." Ratchet shook his head at him though he did pull Ironhide back to his seat.

"Gah!" The big black mech grumbled. "I'm gonna to twist him until he has doorwings, then I'm gonna tear them off."

"Ouch," Optimus cringed slightly. "A little harsh don't you think, Hide?"

"Nope." The WS shook his head.

"You know," Jazz laughed. "Wheeljack ain't really all that much of a pushover. He is a good warrior."

"When he stops trying to analyze everything." Prowl snorted.

"Ain't that the 'Con calling the virus-viper deceptive?" Ratchet shot at the white and black mech.

Jazz busted out laughing along with Ironhide. Optimus was more discrete, hiding his smirk behind his hand while Ratchet just grinned over at the SIC who glared back.

"You know, Ratch." Prowl started. "I haven't seen your bay reports in a good while."

The laughter came to an end and the medic scowled.

"You wouldn't."

"Try me."

With a snort Ratchet looked away affectively surrendering. For now.

Jazz broke out into laughter again. "And mechs say Prowler don't know how to have any fun!"

Prowl shrugged, his doorwings twitching as he tried to hide his humor.

Bumblebee had watched the whole act unfold around him with amusement, but now he wanted to finish his presents. It was already almost New Vorns and he'd spent the last few breams trying to convince himself that he wasn't tired and in desperate need of recharge because he knew as soon as he yawned Hide would scoop him up and carry him to berth just like every New Vorn before. He'd never, _ever_, got to be a part of the countdown because he would always fall into recharge, but this vorn he was twelve vorns old and he was _going _to stay awake.

And then he planned on recharging all orn tomorrow.

Sounded like a perfect plan to him.

"Hey!" Bee bounced to wake himself up and gain attention as he pulled at the armor on Ratchet's arm. The medic turned his focus back down to him. "Present!"

The CMO chuckled at the earnest pointing the little mech was doing to the box in his grip so Ratchet relented and tore the package open. What he found made him laugh and snort all in the same moment. Wrapped neatly in clear plastic was a set of large, very light weight, wrenches glittering and shimmering like brand new with the words 'Ratchet's Throwing Wrenches' printed on the sides of each one. As the mech around him—even Prowl—laughed at the sight Ratchet picked one up and tossed in up and down in his hand. They were sturdy and would take a good beating, but they were lighter than his normal tools which meant they'd have probably three times the range. The CMO smiled deviously as he looked down at the little youngling who beamed before him.

"Clever little youngling aren't you?" Ratchet chuckled patting him on the head.

"Jacky helped." Bee grinned wider.

"Yes," Ratchet turned his gaze across the room his deep blue optics pinning his oblivious prey where he stood. "He did."

Faster than a strike of lightening Ratchet swung and a wrench went sailing through the crowd with a metal hum making several duck from the sound and yelp away while some just watch almost as if it was happening in slow motion as the tool sailed across the distance with ease and nailed Wheeljack right between the optics making the tri-tone mech squeak out in pain before he crashed into the ground.

After a moment of shock silence the room busted out laughing.

Again.

"Nice shot, Ratchet!"

"Ha-ha damn that was awesome!"

"Ouch!"

"Awesome, Ratchet!"

"Well, we're all dead."

"Ratchet the Hatchet has some new toys!"

"Run for your lives!"

"That was so epic!"

"What the pit was that for!?" Wheeljack hauled himself back to his feet rubbing his forehead as he held the new tool glaring through all the praise and laughter to his friend. "I made them for crying out loud."

"Mistake number one." That sounded not so surprisingly like Sideswipe where ever he was in this crowded mess.

"Stop letting the youngling play with explosives." Ratchet deadpanned and the laughter rose up again tenfold.

Wheeljack just gaped at him before his light blue optics glared at Bumblebee.

The little yellow youngling smiled innocently batting his big blue orbs.

Waving them all off Wheeljack kept the wrench and went back to trying to get Cliffjumper off the wall.

Satisfied, Ratchet looked back down at Bumblebee who was still smiling.

"Thanks Squirt."

"Welcome." Bumblebee then grabbed a large red box that really was far too big for him to pick up and scooted it quite dramatically across the table to Optimus. The commander chuckled quietly under his breath as Bee brought it to him and then plopped down beside him still beaming like the sun.

This present he had had no help with what so ever. Well besides Bluestreak hiding it for him. Other than that though it was totally on his own. He even wrapped it! Which was why it looked kinda funny, but that didn't matter to the youngling. He just sat there and smiled for all he was worth as the Prime carefully tore into the present. What he found made him smile almost as bright as Bee was.

A colorful, messy, wonderland was sprawled out on the large white canvas before him in the many shapes and colors that made up the _whole _collection of Autobots that the youngling knew. Even Hammerdown, Quickfire, Hot Rod, and Ultra Magnus. Every bot that the youngling knew and loved found a place somewhere in the picture and around dead center was the mechs around the table with Bumblebee there smiling pretty much like he was now though in the picture he was in Ironhide's arms. They weren't all that realistic of bots. Sill very youngling like—Bee had down finger painting and abstract sort of shapes like the tress in Meta Roan because the lines were so different and he could make mistakes—drawing bots was another story though and the ones on the canvas were very stick-figure-ish, but to Optimus and the mechs that leaned around to look at the image it couldn't have been anymore perfect simply because of the words scribbled across the top in youngling writing.

'My family'

Followed by a sweet little smiley face.

Optimus thought his spark might burst with happiness as he reached out both physically and mentally wrapping Bumblebee up and snuggling him to his spark as he lightly kissed the giggling youngling between his antennas.

_"I love it, Bumblebee." _The Prime pulsed over their bond and though the youngling still wasn't very good at forming words over the bonds he had he answered as best he could. With a bright happy pulse and a short reply.

_"Welcome."_

Once he in return snuggled into Optimus' neck cables and kiss the Prime on the cheek plating he scrambled back down to the table with a happy giggle and retrieved the last present he needed to give out bringing it to Ironhide with a pep in his little steps and that same beaming grin.

Ironhide chuckled, plucking the tiny light weight blue package from the youngling and opening it quickly when he checked his internal clock and saw that it was only nano-klicks from when the countdown was going to start. The mechs around the room sent up the call and soon they were counting though Ironhide paid them little mind when Bee didn't even glance up as he watched him. Seeing that the youngling wanted to see him open his gift more than countdown to New Vorns he obliged and just as the countdown reached zero and the room sprang into cries of 'Happy New Vorn!' and such the WS pealed back the wrapping to find a small data pad picture frame with an image of him holding Bumblebee that had been snapped without him knowing. There was a look of unaltered happiness on his faceplate as he played with the youngling in what appeared to be a quiet corner of the rec room both he and his charge smiling brightly as the youngling stood in his arms his little hands leaning on his spark and his faceplate utterly riveted by whatever it was that Ironhide was telling him. For a moment Ironhide drank in the picture and then his optics traveled to the bright blue words that were burning brightly at the top of the screen.

'To best Sire in whole universe! Love, Bee'

_Sire?_

Ironhide stared.

He'd . . . never actually _said_ that before.

Ironhide almost broke down in tears right then and there.

He might have actually if in that very moment Gears hadn't fallen from the ceiling by a rope covered in silver and white glitter and a rainbow assortment of feathers with a gag tired around his mouth as he thrashed back and forth wildly with a sign swing from his chest reading 'Happy New Vorn'.

For a moment the whole room stared in silence until Prowl glitched, almost every mech broke down laughing _again_, and Bee started giggling uncontrollably.

"SIDESWIPE!" Ratchet and Prime yelled in unison jumping to their feet finding the now cowering red mech in the crowd.

"I DIDN'T DO IT!" Sides pleaded hiding behind Blaster. "At least not all of it!"

"Who did?" Jazz gasped around his laughter as he not so secretly snapped picture after picture that is until one of Ratchet's brand knew wrench bounced off his head. "OWW!"

"Like you don't slaggin' know!" Ratchet hissed. "That has your sick humor written all over it."

"Actually it has it glued all over it." Jazz corrected rubbing the side of his head.

Ratchet snarled. "Do you know how long it's going to take me to get all the glitter and glue out of his wiring!? I swear to pit whoever did this is on janitor duty for a Decacycle! AND I HAVE TO FIX PROWL! AGAIN! I'M GONNA SCRAP ALL OF YOU!"

"Whoever is responsible," Optimus rubbed a finger between his optics.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Blaster, Sides, Drift, and Jazz started heading for the door. "We know. We know. Brig."

While all that was happening and mechs were rolling around each other laughing Ironhide had scooped up Bumblebee quieting his giggles and nuzzled his faceplate lovingly into the little mechs soft frame. Bee clicked a very happy sparkling like sound as he hugged his guardian back.

"Like?" He whispered over all the noise.

"You don't know," The youngling would have sworn he heard tears choking Hide's voice. "How much Bee. You don't know. Primus . . . I love you my little Bumblebee."

"Love you too, Hide." Bee smiled snuggling in tighter. "Best Sire ever."

A joyful tear rolled down the battle hardened mechs cheek as the first few klicks of the new vorn rolled into life.

Right then there was no war. There was no pain, no hardship, no stress, no anger, no hatred, and no darkness. There was only the joy and the love in the air around this psycho glitchy family that was the Autobots. There was only the warmth bubbling up in two sparks that were now forever intertwined together with a love and a link that nothing would ever be powerful enough to break.

Tomorrow there would be war. There would be the harsh reality of what they were and who they were all forced to be. There would be battles to plan, losses to category, strategies to discuss, and a never ending battle born of hatred and spite to continue to beat back with all that they were.

But now there was peace, laughter, and joy. It was a new beginning. A fresh start. Even if the start was still in the middle of chaos and darkness there was something in the very stardust around them that said change was coming. Tonight it felt like a good change . . . whether it would be was yet to be learned, but for now there was only this.

There was only an adopted son and Sire basking in the glow of a new chapter of their lives.

There was family . . . there was hope.

* * *

**Well that was fun to write.**

**I can't put into words how much I love this chapter. **

**Not much to say this time. I think this chapter speaks for itself. Hope you liked it, and I'd love to hear what you thought! So please review! **

**Next chapter we have another much loved mech joining the mix and he's got his own share of secrets. **

**Chat with ya later!**

**-Jay**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers only the plot and OCs are mine.**

**Hello everybody. Welcome to the forth chapter of All Roads Lead Home. I hope you enjoy!**

**Thank you once again those of you who reviewed. You are wonderful and I love you. You seriously help with writers' block . . . which won't go away. Oh Muse! Where did you go!?**

**Anyway, please read and review! I love to hear what you think!**

* * *

Chapter 4

Bee snuggled into his piles of blankets on the couch in the rec room as he lay before the massive TV screen not far away his little fingers reaching out to push the buttons on the remote to flip the channel.

To put it simply he was bored out of his processor.

He hated meetings. Absolutely _hated _them.

Especially the ones they wouldn't let him in.

Sometimes being a youngling was really annoying. No bot thought he was old enough to be in the meetings.

He disagreed.

When the door to the rec room swung open and interrupted his meaningless programs though that didn't matter anymore. Because Jolt found him.

The bright blue mech strolled in with his normal static like presence that was just . . . him. He was energy, pure energy, bottled up in a clever kinda funny fuelled by mischief frame. He was not the normal picture for a medic in training under Ratchet the Hatchet's guidance, but the mech who Hot Rod found in an abandon living pit wasn't all that normal to begin with.

He was brilliant.

In that mysterious, mischievous kind of way.

Ratchet saw promise in him and robbed Hot Rod of his new solider tossing him into the medical bay so Red Alert could finally get back to doing what he was best at. Glitching over security cameras.

Now that the CMO had another apprentice—which Quickfire and First Aid hadn't yet stopped laughing about—the process he went through was starting all over again. Something he secretly enjoyed because so far the tall blue mech with those vicious electric whips of his and his skills at fighting which had kept him alive on his own for so long was hiding something. There was a story behind the apprentice, one which Hot Rod had started digging into and had now turned over to Prime and Ratchet. Because just like the medic Optimus was interested in the loner who had made it on his own so long.

He was a welcomed asset to the crew and since he and Sides had already declared a sort of prank war it seemed every mech was getting along swimmingly.

There was also the fact that Bumblebee had loved him the nano-klick after he laid optics on him and the trainee medic seemed to be kind of fond of the little mechling as well so he fell right into place among all of _Eternity_.

At the moment though, Bee wasn't really too happy to see him. He'd snuck off again, but it seemed Jolt was even better at finding him then Jazz was. He never got away long when Jolt was searching for him. No matter where he ran off too.

"Medical reports bore you too, Bumblebee?" Jolt questioned in that quiet voice of his that never spoke up too much and when he did never really rose too high above a whisper.

Jolt was quiet.

He just was.

For reasons he doubted he'd ever tell these mechs. Not along as he guarded his secret.

Bee clicked a positive as the mech came to sit beside him. "Meetings stupid too."

Jolt chuckled. "They are the most boring thing in the universe. Don't know why you want in them."

Bee just went back to flicking channels.

Jolt sat with him in silence both just watching the meaningless programs roll by until Bee started ignoring the TV and started curiously watching the bright blue mech.

He like him.

He was funny, quiet, and kind. However, he hide behind more walls than Bumblebee had seen in a long time for reasons he didn't know. He was making friends here, becoming part of the family, but he didn't let anybot in. Not even Bumblebee.

Not truly.

There was a warmth Bee could feel from his spark. A kindness that honestly told how much the mech liked him, but his spark wouldn't let Bee latch on and form a link. Which was something the youngling wanted in all those he liked. He needed to be connected. To feel the life around him.

And yet he hadn't pushed this one.

Something told him not too. There was something the mech was hiding that was his right to hide and something inside him knew that not too long in the future it was going to come out.

Bumblebee intended to be there to see it.

Which was why he was sticking closer to the new mech then most of his other caretakers, secretly liking the fact that Jolt could find him so easily. They were alike somehow that he hadn't yet figured out, but he was going too.

As the little youngling scrutinized his caretakers whole being, Jolt's head tilted for a moment and Bee realized he was talking on a comm.

"**Ratchet to Jolt." **The medic's voice rang out over the open comm echoing in the trainee's processor.

"**Boss?" **Was Jolt's short quiet reply.

"**Please tell me you know where Bumblebee is this time."**

"**With me."**

The mech could feel the relief in the static from more than just the medic as he realized there must have been a few that came to the medical bay to find that the youngling and the trainee were gone. Jolt rolled his optics. They were on a ship. The youngling couldn't go _too _far, and normally he really wasn't all that hard to find. The blue mech had yet to understand why it worried the caretakers so much. The little thing was clever.

Cleverer than they were giving him credit for.

Jolt had ever faith he was able to take care of himself for a little while. Sure he still needed to be looked after—Jolt understood that—he just didn't understand why they wanted him on such a short leash.

Jolt knew short leashes. He knew that sooner or later the one on the other end got fed up and rebelled from it, did something stupid, and then they would all pay for it. It was time they lengthened the youngling's range before he decided it would be fun to head off ship the next time he snuck from under his caretaker's optics.

"**What him back, Boss?"** Jolt asked.

"**Yeah bring him down here he needs a check up."**

_Oh joy. _Rolling his optics the trainee stood from the couch and snatched up the youngling in the same movement heading for the door. Bee didn't protest. He knew the mech had been on a comm and that meant the meeting was probably over. Maybe now he would get his promised lunch with Optimus and Ironhide.

The pair walked down the long black halls of the mighty battleship and like always with Jolt he had a way of silently floating along like electricity in the air never seeming to meet another mech on his way _anywhere_ unless he wanted too. The fact fascinated Bumblebee.

And it frustrated Jazz.

The mech around the age of the twins—maybe a bit younger, close to Bluestreak—showed promise in Jazz's department of expertise, but the blue mech had fell right into step beside Ratchet and the medical field something that confused every officer on the ship. Just like Jolt did a lot.

There was something about the new solider that was different yet familiar all in the same breath but none of them had figured out what it was. Not that they weren't trying.

He was a new puzzle to solve. A new piece to the well oiled machine.

It was a well known fact in war that every being had secrets—it was a sort of right—but in a family there was always at least one that could be confided in to trust, and though Jolt was nice he wasn't the most social. He fell in great with Sideswipe when the red twin pranked him on his second orn on the ship by gluing all his transfer data pads from Roddy's ship to the medical bay door only to find himself revenge pranked hanging from the ceiling by his toes.

Those two got off a wonderful start and the little war they had started was very entertaining, but other than the pranks the bright blue mech was kind of standoffish. Only speaking when spoken too besides with it came to Bumblebee. He adored Bumblebee—as all did—but every other bot he seemed to kind of dance around as if he was trudging through land mines afraid that one wrong step was going to blow up in his faceplate.

Ratchet didn't like it. So he intended to find out what it was his new appreciate was trying to keep to himself. He already had the twins feeling safer and he intended to keep his new record of no mechs on the ship afraid to face who or what they were. At least for the most part. The past could never be erased or forgotten but it was getting easier to handle.

For everybot.

The CMO was not fond of the idea of having to do to this kind, quiet mech what he did to the twins though. Something told him Jolt wouldn't respond well to getting smacked over the audios and told to spill his spark. The mech had been alone for a _long _time. Ratchet and the other officers were trying to give him a little space to fall into place here—he had been doing alright with Hot Rod, but Roddy already had three medics he didn't need another one—so the newcomer ended up on _Eternity_ where he was once again trying to figure out a place for himself. He seemed to enjoy being around Bee, and Bee seemed to enjoy him so that was what they were working with at the moment, but there was something. _Something_ Ratchet, Prowl, Ironhide, Optimus, and Jazz just couldn't put their finger on. Something even Hot Rod had told them about. Something that was so very, _very_, familiar that it was almost taunting them.

There was more to Jolt than what lay on the surface, and they intended to find out what it was.

* * *

"Hide!" Bee squealed happily flinging himself from Jolt's arms and leaping into Hide's who caught him with a snort and a roll of his optics.

"Why do you always have to do that?" Ironhide scolded him flicking him lightly on an antenna. "The floor is a long ways down, Bee."

Bee giggled. "You catch me. Always catch me."

Ironhide smiled. "Yeah little one, I'll always catch you."

Once he purred lightly at his guardian Bumblebee turned his attention to the mechs in the room. Ratchet was at his desk flinging data pads at Prowl looking kind of annoyed while the white and black mech just caught them with ease and an impassive faceplate. Jazz was reclining on a medical berth swinging his legs back and forth with that look of his that said he was planning something. Optimus stood not far from Ironhide near the CMO's desk the commander reaching out to pet Bee on the head with a small smile as the youngling giggled and latched onto his fingers refusing to let go until he was carried into Optimus' arms and deposited next to his spark as he watched Jolt cross the room and start to organize some scattered tools near some cabinets.

It looked like any other orn on _Eternity_ with his amazing family though there was something bubbling in the air that Bee knew didn't belong there. And it surrounded Jolt.

This air of curiosity filtering from all that were around him and this stiff wall that Bumblebee had faced already. He liked the new mech, but he did not like the fact that he was keeping secrets. The youngling was done with secrets and he intended to find out just was going on . . . though he had no worldly idea how he was suppose to do that.

So for now he sat quietly snuggled up to Optimus' spark watching the mechs before he tilted his gaze up to the Prime blinking those big baby blue optics that could melt right through the toughest armor straight to the soul.

He was gifted a smile in return when he lightly poked at the commander's armor.

"What is it, young one?" Optimus chuckled.

"What did at meeting?" Bee asked wiggling his little toes back and forth as he rocked in the safety of the mech's arms.

A snort from across the room drew his attention though.

"Absolutely nothing of use." Ratchet grumbled making Ironhide and Jazz laugh slightly while Prowl rolled his optics.

Bee just tilted his head in confusion while he watched the bright blue mech in the corner listening with interest. Why was Jolt so concerned with the meeting he said was boring?

"Well Lil' Bee, we have a sort of surprise for ya." Jazz hopped from his place skipping over to the Prime and the youngling who in an nano-klick was a grinning little bundle of bouncing at the prospect of a surprise.

"What is?"

Jazz grinned wickedly his visor flashing bright blue before he snatched up the little yellow mech and spun him around the room bouncing him up and down in the air until he was giggling up a storm flipping around with every toss. Well that is until Ironhide snatched him from mid-air before Jazz could catch him again. Bee let out a startled chirp when he changed possession and found himself held protectively against the warm metal of Hide's chest while the big black mech glared at the smaller silver one who rolled his optics behind his visor glaring with his arms crossed.

"How many fraggin' times do I have to tell you to stop doing that!?" Ironhide hissed. "You're gonna drop him."

"Am not!" Jazz snapped back.

"You could!"

"But I'm not!"

"Ironhide," Optimus tried to cut the argument off before they went at each other again, but what Bumblebee did next stopped it quicker than he ever could.

"Fraggin'."

Every mech in the room startled into silence all gazes settling down on the little yellow form sitting against his guardian's chest.

For a moment they all blinked, even Jolt, until Ratchet's low snarl rose up across the room.

"_Ironhide_!"

The black mech audibly gulped.

He knew that tone all too well. That was the tone of the Medic of Doom.

Shoving the youngling into Jazz's arms he barely had time to duck before a wrench nailed him on his left audio.

"YOU SLAGGIN' GLTICH!" Ratchet was already chasing the massive ebony mech around room wielding a buzz saw as Ironhide pleaded that it wasn't his fault. "HE LISTENS TO YOU MORE THAN ANYBOT ELSE!"

A screwdriver nailed him in the soft cables at the back of his right knee and sent him crashing to the floor while the full on Medic of Doom descended upon him. He was pretty sure in the that moment he knew how the twins felt after they did something stupid as he just raised his arms to shield his faceplate.

"Damn it!" He yelped. "Knock it off, Ratchet! Like I'm the only mech that curses around him!"

"Damn." Bee giggled liking how the whole room went still again and Jazz groaned audibly when Ratchet went back to snarling and whacking Hide over the head.

"HE'S TO YOUNG TO FRAGGIN' HEAR THIS SLAG!"

"Says the mech still cursing." Jolt silently slid in next to Jazz with a sneaky smirk. Jazz laughed lightly impressed that the bright mech had been able to move to him and he not notice. He truly was wasted in Ratchet's bay.

Optimus and Prowl had gone to trying to stop Ratchet from deactivating Ironhide who knew better than even try and defend himself against the Hatchet at this point while Jazz and Jolt merely watched with amused optics until Bee poked the saboteur in the chest.

Glancing down he lifted an optic ridge.

"What surprise?" Bee mumbled.

Jazz smiled leaning closer his mouth hovering over the little mech's audio receptor making him giggle snuggling in closer to his caretaker as he whispered. "You want to know do ya?"

He giggled even louder bouncing up and down in the mech's arms.

"Well," Jazz paused for dramatic affect making Jolt roll his optics in humor as Bee held his breath in anticipation. "How about ya save ol' Hide before Ratch fully scraps him and then we'll tell ya what we got planned?"

Nodding vigorously the little mech scampered out of the silver mech's hold making Jazz have to bend to help him to the ground before he busted it on the hard metal floor watching with amused optics while the little mech toddled on unbalanced feet over to where Prowl was trying to hold back the raging medic while Optimus did the same to the now severally pissed off Ironhide as he glared at the dent in his right cannon. Bumblebee knew they would never truly hurt each other and though while he still didn't like it when they argued it did kind of amuse him to see how simple words he didn't even understand what meant could make Ratchet go so fully off his rocker.

There were times when Ratchet could be downright scary when he was pissed, but since that anger was _never _pointed at Bumblebee he had a tendency he must have picked up from the twins and Jazz to push his luck a little bit in the issues of Ratchet's sanity . . . or lack thereof.

But that was why there was not the slightest bit of fear in the little youngling as he hurried on unsteady feet until he sprang up and latched himself, full on arms and legs clinging tightly, to Ratchet's leg.

It got him just what he wanted.

The medic went still along with Ironhide who would never risk hurting his youngling. Tension hissed out of Ratchet's frame as he glanced down at the little yellow bundle who was clutching tightly to his armor smiling up at him as bright as a super nova.

The medic sighed. "Bumblebee,"

"Please stop." Bee pulled his best innocent, adorable, undeniable look blinking his big optics up at the mech until he sighed with a shake of his head reaching down to pluck the little thing off of him and pull him up to rest against the armor over his spark. Bee clicked happily snuggling against the metal as Ratchet pet him between the antennas earning quiet purrs.

"Alright you annoying little twerp, I'll stop."

Bee giggled.

Jazz barked a deep laugh looking to Jolt. "Awe! See Ratchet really does have a soft side!"

WHACK

"Oww!" Jazz suddenly found himself on his aft rubbing the sizeable dent between his optics over his visor where the wrench now laying in his lap smacked him. Ratchet stood with the youngling in his free hand the other hand holding another wrench waving it lightly back and forth his optics narrow. Jazz figured it was a pretty good idea to mute it then especially when Optimus and Prowl shot him a look. "Imma be quiet now."

"Good idea." Prowl answered. Ratchet wasn't in the best mood to begin with so it was better to just let him calm down on his own and not push him. With Bumblebee in his grip he'd calm down a lot faster which was why he snorted in frustration marching back across the medical bay heading for his unfinished searching of data pads with the youngling still in his hand. Bumblebee didn't mind. He never really got to spend all that much time with the medic, he was always so busy, so he took the opportunity any chance he got. He also figured that Ratchet would tell him the surprise if he behaved.

Though when he got sat on the table covered with data pads only to be snatched up by Prowl and handed to Optimus his plan was kinda a bust.

"Young one," The Prime's voice held a little amusement for the situation, but overall it was strong and commanding. Bee shrank down. He knew that tone. That was he was about to get lectured tone.

Well slag.

"You know better that to use that kind of language."

"Sorry, Optimus." His little antennas folded down to make him look as pathetic as they possibly could. He was less likely to get grounded that way.

"You don't seem very sorry." Prowl commented from where he was sorting data pads with the CMO. Ironhide was helping along with Jazz who was trying to think of some bonus points to get the medic to fix the dent over his visor. While Jolt was sorting through some files across the bay. They were looking for something. What Bee didn't know and he wondered how it was that Jolt knew to be looking for it too. Maybe it was the comm link.

The youngling pouted.

He wanted one of those, but Ratchet said he was too little to have it installed.

He pouted even more.

He was so tired of being told he was too little, too young, too fragile, too anything just to keep him from doing big bot stuff.

"Am sorry." He countered hating how his vocal processor still couldn't form the words like his processor wanted too. He knew he spoke like a youngling—a very young youngling—which didn't help him in the department of proving he wasn't to little even if he didn't even come up to Jazz's upper knee plating yet.

He sighed.

Was he ever going to get any bigger?

Thinking it over, he scratched at the wiring between the metal plating on his arm. It was itching pretty badly as of lately, but he was scared to tell any of his caretakers. Saying stuff like that only got him hooked up to a machine with a fretting Ratchet holding some type of needle.

He hated needles.

He avoided them at all costs. Just dealing with the itching, was at all costs.

"You just don't wanna get grounded." Ironhide shot his charge a dark knowing look still more than a little upset about the dents he was going to have to hammer out of his cannon.

_Maybe_ _. . . ._ Bee thought twitting his thumbs as he sat in Optimus' palm.

"Bumblebee," The Prime's warning tone told the youngling that he was very capable of reading his bright optics so Bee lowered his head and whispered.

"Won't do it again. Promise."

The commander seemed to weigh this over in his processor for a few klicks before nodding. "Alright, my young one. Just no more."

He was gifted a purr when he let the little mech snuggle against his spark and for a few moments all was silent except for the whispered curses of the CMO who couldn't for the life of him find that damn file. Not a mech in the room pointed out that Ratchet was _still _cursing around the youngling. They valued their lives a little too much to do that.

Besides.

They were on a battleship. Cursing was a part of life, and while they tried to keep it away from the youngling's audios they knew he would hear it. The only thing they could do was try and make him understand those were not words for a youngling to say. Which they knew he understood, he just sometimes was as mischievous as some as his caretakers.

A fact that kept Ironhide and Optimus up at night sometimes as either mech watched the little mech recharge. It was something they spoke often of in the privacy of either's quarters. The fear that lived in both mechs' spark. The fear of just how curious and adventurous the little youngling was. It terrified them, because one orn they knew all too well that it was going to get him in a world of trouble.

"Oh!" Bee snapped upright in the Prime's hand blinking up at him with those bright optics. "What surprise?"

The leader chuckled. "Ultra Magnus and Hot Rod are coming to visit."

And just as predicted Bumblebee lit up like the brightest star in the galaxy. "Really!?"

"Really, really." Jazz laughed lightly at the joy in those bright orbs.

"YAY!" Bee giggled madly as he scrambled down Optimus' frame having to be helped once again so he didn't become a smear on the floor and then went to running circles around the commander's, Hide's, Ratchet's, Jazz's, and even Prowl's feet as he bounced and cheered and giggled for all he was worth.

His _whole _family was getting back together. He would get to see Hammerdown and Quickfire!

He was so _happy_!

* * *

Curled up in a mound of blankets to the side of Optimus' desk the little youngling itched at his plating from the secrecy of his covers. The Prime and his guardian weren't really paying him that much attention, too busy going through stuff on the commander's many work screens to notice that little mech had finished his light puzzle and was now just absently staring into space itching at his sore arms.

It had been two orns since he was told that Ultra Magnus and Hot Rod along with their crews were coming. That all three ships were going to be together again for a short time while the commanders searched for an answer that Bee had yet to been told. He hadn't asked what they were all looking for though so he really wasn't all that concerned. Besides his itching was far more distracting.

It was getting worse, and he was scared to tell.

He had had enough of being hurt after that virus-viper tried to offline him. He didn't want to be hooked up to wires and tubes _ever _again. So he wasn't going to tell.

Nope.

Not gonna do it.

The wires beneath his abdomen plates started burning.

His antennas folded down. _ Not gonna_!

Ironhide had been focused on searching the files on the screen with Optimus but when from the corner of his optics he saw his adopted son's antennas fold down and a pained little look cross his faceplate the black mech quickly snapped to attention drawing Optimus along with him.

"_What is it?" _The leader asked over their long ago formed connection between him and one of his best friends.

"_I don't know." _Ironhide answered honestly discreetly watching Bumblebee stare off into space with that look in his optics that was worrying his guardian. Like something was hurting him. _"Look at him."_

Optimus inspected the little yellow bundle of trouble wrapped up in the safety of his warm blanket wearing a faraway looking in his optics that troubled the Prime. He really did look like something was wrong with him, but he had been fine a few klicks ago. Where the mechs aboard _Eternity_ so wrapped up in figuring out that second coded message that they were missing that something was wrong with the thing they swore with their last breaths to protect?

"Bumblebee," Optimus said softly making the mechling twist back to face his guardian and his Optimus. A small—very forced—smile rose up on his lips and it made both the mechs cringe slightly.

Something was definitely wrong.

"Huh?" Bee answered.

Ironhide reached over carefully plucking his charge from the desk top and settled him in his lap as he sat in the spare chair beside Optimus both of them no longer at all concerned with what was rolling up the screen of his monitors.

"You alright, Bee?" Ironhide asked him quietly wrapping the blanket a little tighter around his youngling as the little mech leaned into his mid-section resting his head on the formidable armor as he looking upward to the caring faceplate with worry itched in around those vivid deep blue optics.

Bumblebee suddenly felt guilty.

Hide was worried about him. That meant he wasn't hiding it very well.

Well, scrap.

They were busy and he was distracting them. That wasn't supposed to happen.

Quickly forcing his optics to twinkle with as much happiness as he thought he could pull off he smiled at his Ironhide. "Yep."

Those optics that held a very Sire like protectiveness at the moment narrowed suspiciously. Without even reaching out to feel the bright bubbly little spark he knew his youngling was lying. He was just really awful at it.

Not that Ironhide or any of the rest of his family minded that too much.

"Don't lie to me, youngling." Ironhide's voice grew stern as he plucked the little mech from his lap and brought him to rest beside his spark. "You are not good at it."

Bee pouted.

Stupid lack of ability to lie. That was gonna bite him in the skidplate one orn, he just knew it.

"Now tell me what's wrong."

Thinking quickly the little mech grasped at the first notion that popped in his processor. "Tired. Didn't recharge good."

Yeah, that would work and it wasn't technically a lie. He hadn't recharged well so this would work out just fine.

Ironhide's optics darkened with worry.

Or . . . maybe it wouldn't.

"Nightmares?" It was Optimus that asked the question and Bumblebee suddenly found himself glancing between the two strongest, most awesome, most overly all wonderful mechs in the whole wide universe with a slightly frightened look flashing deep in their optics where he guessed they thought he wouldn't notice. However, to the little mech so tightly bonded to them and so many others—the little mech that thrived and existed on the links that connected him to others—could feel the tightening in their bonds to him. How their sheer open willingness to have him be a part of them clouded slightly and tried to keep some of their feelings held back yet not close him off to the now never blocked pulses that ran between them. He could always feel their sparks when they were close enough because they were never closed to him in a way to keep both him and his caretakers at ease, but the down side of this open bond was that to a spark as powerful as Bumblebee's when something clouded over the normal feelings he was use too he took notice.

Now he could tell that he had worried his favorite mechs.

And he felt awful.

His antennas folded down in unease while he began pulling at his fingers. A nervous habit he was very quickly developing that the two mechs around him thought he was _far _too young to have. Reaching a finger around him Ironhide took hold of his fidgeting hands and stilled them making the little mech turn his full attention up to his guardian.

"Wanna tell us about them?" He whispered.

"Busy." Bee shook his head quickly looking to the monitors on the Prime's desk.

"We're never too busy for you, Bumblebee." Optimus told him in a voice that left no room to argue and the youngling didn't miss the fact that wasn't the first time he'd been told that, yet he still felt like there were more important things on this ship than him. Like whatever it was they were all looking for that they wouldn't tell him. If no mech wanted to tell him than it must be something secretly important so he was positive that should be their focus.

"Not 'portant." He answered.

"It was important when you told the twins, wasn't it?" Ironhide lifted an optic ridge.

Bee blinked at him before nodding nervously. He _really _didn't want to talk about this. "Yeah."

"Than it's important to us too. You know that. If something upsets you Bumblebee you have to tell me about it."

"But not wanna bother you." Bee played with the soft metal of his guardian's finger since it wouldn't let him ring his hands.

The warm rumbling almost purr that answered him both through his spark and his audios made the little mech wiggle up closer to his guardian while he spoke. "You could never bother me, my little Bee."

Bee sent back a warm pulse in return as his answer.

"You know that goes for me as well." Optimus reached forward to stroke the little mech along his cheek sending his own wrapped up warmth to snuggle in around Bee's spark combined with Ironhide's to leave Bee in an almost poofy little cloud of protection and love that he felt like slipping down into and never coming back out.

He would be quite happy to spend the rest of his forcible future trapped in the safety of Hide's and Optimus' sparks where he knew nothing bad could ever get him and nothing wrong would ever be allowed. Apart Hide and Optimus would move the Well and Pit for him he had no doubt, but together he was very sure that they could best the universe if he needed them too.

So maybe he should just come clean . . . well about the dreams that is. He still didn't want to find himself back in the medical bay with stuff stuck in him. He wasn't really all that ready to discuss the itching.

It could wait.

"Don't happen all the time." Bee told them quietly. "Just sometimes."

"Why don't you wake me?" Ironhide asked.

"You tired."

Ironhide grumbled. "Get it through your thick processor, youngling. I'm here to take care of _you_. So when something is wrong you tell me. I don't care if I haven't recharged in a Decacycle you come first."

Without a real way to express the love that welled up in his spark at that the little mech just snuggled tighter into his guardian.

"Now are you going to tell us about these nightmares or not?" Optimus pressed.

"Just 'member stuff sometimes. But don't matter. Not goin' back. Got you and Hide and twins and Jazzy and Ratch now. Not let bad stuff happen."

For a moment Ironhide and Optimus considered this answer the two glancing between each other with a look that no words were needed to express the feelings in both their sparks. They both knew their youngling well enough to catch the undertone in his voice. He really didn't want to talk about this. Which was strange in itself so with a soft sigh each of the mechs relented for now with just one more question.

"Bumblebee, you tell me from now on. Alright?" Ironhide told him.

"'Kay, Hide." Bee nodded his antennas slowly starting to flicker back to alertness. His wires still itched very irritatingly and he knew he should tell Ironhide—he was very aware he was gonna be in big trouble when he got found out—but he was absolutely sure he wanted _nothing _to do with needles and tubes for a long time yet.

So he kept his mouth shut and just huddled up close to Hide's spark ignoring how bad he itches while the two mechs who he knew were far from please with his answer went back to their work. Work for what he wasn't sure.

He just watched as the codes rolled on the screen until he slowly drifted off into recharge lulled by the steady beat of Ironhide's spark and the never ending rhythm of the words.

* * *

Jolt sat quietly in a chair surrounded by the darkness of his berthroom just outside the medical bay his bright optics glowing in the dim light. The normally warm and welcoming yet quiet mech sat so utterly ridged and closed off he knew even down in his own spark it was wrong, and yet here he sat like the whole battleship around him was trying to force him to sell his soul.

And in all reality they were.

The Prime and his immediate circle might not have recognized him just yet, but there was one mech that when he got here was going to take one look and know just what he was looking at. And secretly that terrified the loner.

He'd spent so long running from the truth because that was the only way he could keep his sorry self alive. Now he was about to face up with a past because by some sick twist of fate he found himself at . . . home. A home he'd never before known because he was cheated out of it.

It was a strange feeling for the normally upbeat mech.

To be trapped in a place that should be home, but felt so utterly _wrong _somehow.

He knew why it did. Deep down he knew.

It was because he was keeping secrets, and because _she _was long gone.

Being here reminded him of her. His Carrier who had died for him all those vorns ago trying to save him. His Carrier; the mate to one of the most powerful mechs in the Autobot ranks.

Sighing Jolt lowered his head to his hands trying to remember why in Pit he let that scouting party find him, why he went to Hot Rod's ship.

Oh yeah . . . because he'd been dying.

* * *

_Pain flashed through his aching chest reminding the bright blue loner of just how close that round came to hitting him in the spark. Jolt cursed to the Well and back about his own damn stupidity. _

_How could he have not heard that seeker in those catacombs?_

_What was he some newbie runaway? He'd been out of that Pit for vorns now and all of a sudden he doesn't pay close enough attention to notice a giant freaking seeker about to shot him in the fraggin' back!?_

_What the frag was wrong with him?!_

_Shaking his head to clear it the brightly painted mech slid down the wall of the crumbed building he was taking refuse in and banged his head back against the cold grey surface._

_He had been distracted._

_That was what was wrong with him._

_Being here . . . in this place even if there was nothing other than ruins left. This was where she had been taken from the Sire he'd never met while she was still carrying. This was his home in a way even if he'd never known it._

_Iacon._

_He glanced around at the dark fallen metal and stone._

_What a pretty picture. _

_Rolling his optics sarcastically at the thought of trying to imagine what it might have looked liked he sighed. He'd never know, so what was the point. All he'd ever known was darkness and pain and the life of a runaway. _

_Wouldn't she be proud of him?_

_Forcing himself to chuckle at his own rather dark mood brought out by pain the mech went to work. Enough lollygagging, he had to patch these lines before he leaked out. _

_Though not even Jolt's skilled claws were going to fix this on his own and with that dark notion he leaned back against the wall wondering if this was going to be the time he finally just drifted off into stasis and never woke back up._

_His spark twisted in pain._

_Not a single bot out there would miss him. No bot would even know he was gone._

_But so was the life of a loner. _

_He had no connections, no family, no home because then there for nothing to lose . . . but that also meant that no bot had _him _to lose._

_Before it had always sounded like a decent trade off. Now he wasn't so sure._

_He missed her, and a small stupid part of him missed the Sire he would never know._

_She had always spoken so highly of him. Praising his valor and honest spark. She had always promised that one orn he was going to come and save them from that living Pit. He never came though and she had been snuffed out before his optics one orn._

_Another painful twist of his spark and at that point Jolt couldn't tell if it was out of memory or injury._

_A part of him didn't care._

_He was slowly sinking into blackness from which he would probably never wake up from, however a noise and movement forced him to hold himself awake just a few moments longer. He looked up through blurry optics to find a towering blue and black frame shouldering its way through the crumbled ruble._

_A strange, strong, honest sort of voice drifted to his audio receptors and all he could do was sit there unable to muster the energy to call forth his defenses. _

"_Hey mech," the owner of the voice came closer warily. "You alright?" _

_After that the world faded into darkness and that was all Jolt had known of his saviors as he drifted into stasis with only one thing bouncing around in his processor. _

_A name._

_His Sire's name._

* * *

Jolt hissed to himself shaking the memory off before the name could bubble up in his spark.

What was the point of worrying about it?

He'd be meeting the mech soon enough anyway and he doubted that his secret was going to stay secret very much longer.

Leaning back in his chair he thought of how this was going to go down though he couldn't come up with anything that screamed at him as what to prepare himself for.

So with a nervous spark in his chest and a heavy past on his shoulders he walked to his berth, curled up in a tight ball, and forced his optics closed to wait.

Tomorrow his truth was going to come out one way or another, and the universe would known that Ultra Magnus' long lost son had come home to a family he'd never known.

* * *

**Dun, dun, duuuuuuuuuun!**

**Who guessed who's son he was before the end? Come on someone had too!**

**And yeah, yeah, I know Jolt isn't _really _Magnus' kid, but for this story he is. I needed to get under the quiet commander's metal somehow and this just came to me. So there you go. Magnus has a son he never knew about . . . well he knew, he just thought he died with his Carrier. Well you'll find all that out next chapter. What did you think about this little twist though?**

**And it finally happened. Some mech got beat because Bee's picked up curse words. For some reason I find that hilarious. I can't get the mental picture of Ratchet chasing Hide around with a buzz saw out of my head. I just can't get the stupid grin off my face. Besides it was gonna happen sooner or later. He's on a battleship in the middle of a war. The mechs curse. It just happens and mentally you might have noticed that Bee is already picking up on words. Most of the time he just knows better than to say them out loud. Cheeky little trouble maker when he wants to be though.**

**Also, what do you think about his itching? Any guesses what that is about?**

**Not a whole lot happens in this chapter I know, its mainly just bringing in Jolt and setting up for the next chapter along with all that I'm building up to. There is a plot here, I swear, its just gonna take me a while to get there. Have to get all my little ducks in a row first. **

**Hee-hee so many twist are coming your way. Just hang on for the ride I hope its an interesting one.**

**On another note,**

**Who saw the Transformers 4 trailer!? Oh I was so excited! It looks so cool. I have so many questions and so much anticipation its just not fair. I want it to be out on DVD already! My plot line goes along with the first three movies, this crazy mess has an outline ****in my head believe it or not****, and the movies play into where all this is going. I can't wait to see what the fourth ones throws into what I've got planned. **

**Well anyway I hope you guys liked chapter 4. **

**Next week we have chapter 5!**

**Chat with ya later!**

**-Jay**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, but the plot and OCs are mine.**

** So no touchy.**

**Hello, everyone. **

**I'd like to say thank you to all of you who reviewed once again. You are awesome! You keep me writing!**

**Now please enjoy chapter 5 and let me know what you thought!**

* * *

Chapter 5

To say that Bumblebee was excited would be the understatement of the millennia.

Not that that really bothered any mech around him. He was sort of adorable when he was acting like this. Which was why with beaming grins Sideswipe and Sunstreaker swung their legs back and forth on the medical berth they sat on together watching the little bundle of yellow run in giggling circles around their feet, around Ratchet, around the whole bay, he was just kind of running laps for some reason. Though since he really wasn't coordinated enough to run more than a few steps before he tripped and had to right himself it was a comical sort of running that left Ratchet cringing every few klicks just knowing that this last trip was going to be the one he'd have to scoop a balling mechling up off the floor to patch up.

Bee didn't fall though much to the CMO's surprise. However, he knew better than to speak up about it. It was best just to watch the youngling's progress without saying stuff that didn't necessary need to be pointed out as of just yet.

There were many a night Ratchet sat alone in his office looking over all the notes he had made over the several vorns that regarded Bumblebee in general. From his records, to his charts, to Ratchet's own personal worries that he tortured himself with typing out and then proceeding to stare at for long breems of the night racking his processor trying to come up with answered he didn't know how to find.

Like why the little mech's vocal processor was still so under developed.

True, Bumblebee was only twelve vorns old but technically he should already be able to talk much better than he did. He couldn't though. The medic and the rest of his family knew for a fact that it wasn't just the youngling clinging to the cute little way he talked to keep attention.

No.

It bothered Bumblebee that he couldn't speak any better than he could.

They were all very aware that it did.

It was clear as the sun when he would say something and wouldn't like the way it came out and then would proceeded to pout about it until somebot distracted him from the fact. It was something that often had Ironhide, Optimus, Jazz, Pit even the Twins talking a little slower as they tried to let Bee catch on better to syllables and words so he could learn how to form them, but nothing really seemed to help.

Bumblebee still struggled with some words and sounds that should be easy for him by now.

Ratchet sighed as he sat at his desk rubbing a thumb between his optics.

The mechling couldn't form an 'I' where it belonged most the time, but he could say 'Damn'. The CMO snorted shaking his head as he went back to typing his notes on the data pad before him.

That youngling was gonna be the death of him one orn, he just knew it. If the twins didn't beat him too it.

The little bundle of yellow was going to pull some stupid little stunt and the medic was going to go fully off his rocker and finally just glitch into stasis and never wake up.

He sighed again shaking his head.

Oh how much those two twin fools would never let him live _that _down. Even if he was offline.

He could just imagine how they were going to laugh about it for the rest of their lives. That is if they could handle a life without him there to ground them. The notion worried him slightly. Would the twins stay sane if he ever wasn't there to smack them back to reality and keep them pointed the direction they wanted to go since on their own they didn't know how to find it?

He glanced the pairs way as Sideswipe dropped to the floor and began playing patty cake with Bee the two of them grinning like brilliant stars as Sunstreaker reclined on the berth above them looking very much like he was memorizing every shade, poster, play of the light, and gleam on metal so he could convey it to a canvas later.

Ratchet smiled, taking a discrete still image of the scene unfolding before him and filed it away in an already overflowing folder of pictures mentally held close to his spark.

He'd never admit it out loud, but it was quiet mornings like this he cherished the most. The mornings where he could simply sit back and watch the three mechs he held so close to his spark, the three he took direction responsibility for, the three that for all intensive purposes belonged to _him_.

He'd put them all back together enough times—even Bumblebee already—that he didn't care what any mech said. They belonged to _him_. They were _his_ younglings.

Their stupid, foolish, curious, impulsive, troublesome, and adventurous afts belong to him.

No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Which he knew was a feeling that would probably put him in the ground one orn, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Not even the slightest bit. If loving these mechs as much as he loved his brothers, as much as he loved his long gone mate, killed him then so be it. At least he could say that he had come back to life. That he hadn't give up on living when half of his spark was ripped right out of him.

He would never truly get over the pain that burned in the back of his spark for the love of the femme he'd never be with again in this life, but the family that he had now made up for it in a lot of ways. True they could never fill that void left behind, but they opened up a part of him he'd never thought he'd know.

The Sire part of him.

The one that loved them like they were his sons.

Yes, first and for most Bumblebee was Ironhide's sparkling. Every mech on the ship knew that. He was and always would be _Hide's _sparkling. No matter how old he got or how much growing he did manage to one orn do. Not even death was going to change the fact that Bee was Hide's son and that Hide was Bee's Sire. They all saw the little picture data pad that the twins had helped him make.

A gift that Ratchet's spark had swelled over.

One out of love for the little darling creature that came up with it, two for the pair of secretly very loving fools that helped him do it, and three because of the way it had brought Ironhide back to something they all thought would be gone forever. Bee had been slowly bringing him back to life since he came to be one of them—just as he had been doing with all of them—but when Ironhide saw those words from the youngling and not his own spark it healed that last aching place inside him and let his spark burn back to all the power and love that had been lost to it for so very long.

He had a son to love and protect again. A son that he was going to keep safe from anything and everything.

A son he could share with this whole psycho glitched family of theirs.

Because even if Bee was Hide's he was also all of theirs as well.

He was their young one, their Bumblebee, their Half Pint, their Lil' Bee, their Squirt, their little brother, their son they had never had, their hope, their home, their . . . everything.

And he always would be.

Smiling to himself Ratchet looked back down to his notes.

He was all that and more, but he was also the product of something much darker. That was something they were all becoming very quickly aware of. Sparked in the Rings his prospect of linage wasn't all that great. Even if that didn't matter to any of them. He was theirs and that was never going to change, one orn they knew it was going to matter to him.

It also mattered with that dark shadow that hung over them now. A shadow by the name of the Guild.

Several vorns and not a peep. Not even a fleeting glance on a radar. They had vanished as quickly as they appeared, but that brought no amount of relief to the Autobots. It was worse than if they were there all the time demanding that he be with them. The not knowing what they were up too and what they meant by all they had said about Bumblebee.

It was going to drive Ratchet to glitch he just knew it.

Going back to trying to distract himself from his thoughts he went to reviewing his notes keeping a careful optic on the little youngling that was using Sideswipe as a climbing wall while the red mech chuckled and Sunstreaker simply watched. It warmed him like nothing he could explain.

They went on like that for a while, Ratchet working and the twins keeping Bumblebee occupied until something caught Ratchet's attention when the youngling was seated in Sunstreaker's lap watching him draw.

He was scratching at his wiring with a distracted sort of pain in his optics that he was trying to hide behind his focus on the sketch pad.

Ratchet was on his feet in a nano-klick the movement startling the twins to look up at him when he was suddenly before them glaring down at the little bundle of yellow that quickly snapped his hands still to his sides and gazed up at the medic in a sort of knowing guiltiness.

Ratchet all but hissed at him.

"Wrench?" Sunstreaker asked carefully when Ratchet suddenly snapped a hold of Bee by his scruff bar and hauled him to a berth. Bee wiggled and whined in protest when he was sat down and was suddenly having a scanner ran over him. When the medic's weakest scans showed nothing out of the ordinary his gaze narrowed at the worn wiring and scratched at plating on his arms and middle. How had he not seen that before?

"Talk, Bumblebee." Ratchet rumbled aware that the twins were hovering behind him and that Bee was shrinking down under his gaze.

"'Bout what?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Youngling." Ratchet warned. "Why are you itching?"

The little mech's antennas folded down. "Not."

"Do _not _lie to me."

"Half Pint?" Sideswipe questioned looking the youngling over. That was when he and Sunstreaker noticed the worn places as well. How the pit had they missed that? "What's wrong, Bee?"

"Nothin' wrong." Bee looked away.

Ratchet grabbed a hold of his arm leaning down for a closer inspection of the wiring he was picking at and opened up a far more invasive scanner over the youngling's form. He didn't expect the little mech to give a yelp of pain at the action though.

"Ratchet!" Sunstreaker snarled when the little mech recoiled from the CMO's scan and balled up on the berth to keep himself away from the scanner. The golden warrior quickly scooped him up off the berth and held him tightly to his chest while Ratchet stood and blinked at him and Sideswipe put himself between them.

"You hurt him?" Sides stared dumbly.

"It was just a scan it shouldn't have hurt him." Ratchet took a step forward and Bee shrank back against Sunstreaker's chest making a protective growl rise up in the frontliner.

"Don't fraggin' do that again!" He growled though Ratchet completely ignored him and his twin as the stepped up and looked down worriedly at the little mech.

However, Bumblebee was having none of it.

He was done with needles, and scans, and tubes, and all things that had to do with being stuck in the medical bay against his will. He was _not _doing it again! He was fine and that was that!

The plating along his sides burned definitely again.

He cringed fighting the urge to scratch at them.

"Bumblebee," Ratchet said quietly as the little mech hide behind Sunstreaker's tightening fingers making the medic's spark hurt. He was hiding from him. Why the pit was he hiding from him? "Squirt, I'm not gonna hurt you, you know that. You just have to let me look and see what's wrong."

"Nothin' wrong." Bee insisted.

"If nothing was wrong the scan wouldn't have burned you."

"You burned him!?" Sunny hissed.

"Quiet, Sunstreaker." Ratchet pinned him in a dark glare. "Something is wrong or it wouldn't have happened now give him here."

The golden warrior knew the medic was the best judge of what was to be done and he was about to hand him over when Bee latched tightly to his fingers and let out a pitiful sounding plea.

"NO! Please! Be good! Promise!"

"Bumblebee," Sideswipe whispered the tone and the little cries hurting his spark as well as his brother's who flinched at the sound while Ratchet just grew all the more worried.

"No more needles! Please! Don't wanna!"

Then Ratchet understood and it hit him like a slap to the faceplate.

This was because of all that had happened with the virus-viper.

_Oh pit! _He hissed to himself. _Damn you to fraggin' Pit Megatron. Damn you! _

His youngling was scared of him because of that damn bastard. Ratchet felt like pulling some foolish sparks out. However, for now he would have to settle with figuring out and then fixing what was going on with the little bundle of yellow now.

"Bumblebee, I'm not going to stick you with anything. Just tell me what's wrong."

"Yes will." Bee mumbled hiding behind Sunstreaker's fingers curled up in his tight little ball with his arms wrapped snuggly around his knees and his faceplate hidden behind them.

Ratchet sighed. "Okay I might have too, but it's for your own good. I might not have too. You have to tell me what's wrong first."

His tight little ball unclenched slightly and he sat up in Sunny's palm who opened his fingers so that Bee could stare pitifully between them and the red warrior who hovered at his brother's side.

Knowing that he was never going to get out of this medical bay without coming clean the little mech glued his optics to his toes, held up his arms, and sighed.

"Itches."

Ratchet plucked him up carefully mindful of the worn places on him and placed him lightly in one hand while the other rubbed a thumb over a very worn bunch of wires in his right arm at about his elbow. The medic's gaze narrowed at him.

"Where, Bee?"

"Kinda everywhere." Bee admitted.

His gaze narrowed even more as he ran a finger over the scratched wires and plates along his sides. Bee squeaked when he did making the medic pause and glance to his optics, but Bee wouldn't look up.

"Itches." He just shrugged.

Ratchet let out a sigh before he pushed at the bright yellow protoform metal mindful not to hurt Bumblebee, but watching carefully as the plating shifted a little more than it should have. He could move it way more than what was normal. Which added to the itching meant only one thing.

The medic grumbled low in his chest before checking the plating and wiring on his arms as well.

It was the same.

_Well damn. _

"Uh . . . Ratch? What's going on?" Sides poked at the medic's armor.

Ratchet waved him away turning to place Bee back on a berth before he walked to a counter and went to pulling out drawers.

Bee sank down on the berth and Sides was quickly at his side with a hand resting on his head rubbing softly at his antennas. "It's okay, Half Pint."

"Ratchet say something." Sunstreaker came to stand beside his brother.

The CMO ignored them.

When he had what he was looking for he walked to his office, found a cube, filled it with his medical supply of energon in his office, and then returned to the youngling mixing the powder into the purple liquid. Once he reached the twins and Bee he offered up the cube to the youngling and just shrugged.

"I told you no needles so you're going to have to drink it."

Bee blinked.

"Drink what?" Sunstreaker huffed. "What's going on?"

"Minerals." Ratchet snorted. "Carbon, iron, a few other things, and you're going to need a lot of it for a little while little one. A good few orns. Also if you want it to stop itching and hurting you're going to have to let me give you some meds."

Bee blinked again before tilting his head. "Know why it itch?"

"Of course I knew why it itches." Ratchet rolled his optics in annoyance. Not at the youngling, but at how he knew this next orns were probably going to go. This was just what they needed. He finally gets the youngling feeling fine again and then Primus decides to go and give him a sudden growth spurt.

Damn.

Ratchet was well aware he'd probably grow less than a couple of inches at most. He was only twelve vorns old so this was in no way the growth spurt that was going to get him into his second frame, but it was going to itch, and hurt, and be metal and wires growing and expanding all the same. It was not going to be a lot of fun.

So far the tiny mech really hadn't had a growth spurt.

Pit he'd hardly grown at all since they found him. He was tiny. Way tinier then he should be at this point in his life.

The youngling's first growth spurt at twelve vorns old? He had no idea what it was going to be like, but the medic did know it was going to probably make a very cranky youngling for a little while.

Great start to the other commanders and crews getting here this afternoon.

"Well why does he itch?" Sideswipe snapped, glaring at the CMO.

Ratchet cut him a glare in return as Bee took the cube and started sipping slowly. His faceplate told how much he didn't like the taste, but he didn't want needles so he'd drink whatever Ratchet gave him.

"Sideswipe, didn't you ever have a growth spurt?" Ratchet grumbled.

Bumblebee choked on his energon.

The CMO all but sprang forward snatching Bee up ignoring the cube splattering all over the floor as he cradled the youngling and rubbed at his throat trying to get the liquid to go down and not end up with the stuff coming back up. That was the last thing Ratchet needed right now.

"Easy, Bee." Ratchet soothed as Bee coughed and wheezed trying to get air back into his vents with the energon stuck in his throat. "Just breathe."

A few more coughs echoed around the bay before Bee shucked in some much needed air and then just stared at Ratchet in shock.

_Grow? _The youngling felt like chirping.

The twins beat him to the words though.

"Did you just say growth spurt?" Sunstreaker stared with wide optics at Ratchet.

The medic cast them a look as he rubbed the youngling's throat. "Yes."

Sideswipe started bouncing while Sunstreaker grinned.

"Really!?" Sides asked happily.

"Don't go getting all chipper just yet it's not going to be much and it's not really going to be fun for any of us." Ratchet sighed.

Bee was on the verge of giggling as he stared with big bright optics up at Ratchet.

_Grow!_

Both warriors deflated slightly trying to think back to the growth spurts they'd had in their youth. It was such a damn long time ago they couldn't really remember what they were like.

Ratchet rolled his optics. "Plating is stretching and cracking, wires are growing and twisting. He's made of only protoform metal remember, you two? It's not like armor. It has to stretch and grow on its own. That isn't really all that much of a painless process."

Their smiles faded, but Bee was on the verge of vibrating with happiness.

"So it's gonna hurt?" Sides mumbled.

"Well it isn't going to be a bubble bath." Ratchet grumbled before all attention fell to Bumblebee when he let out a happy squeal.

Laughing and cheering and giggling and bouncing and squealing out both over his spark and his voice the little yellow mech was all but scrambling out of Ratchet's hand trying to find his way to the floor.

"Hey, hey! Stop that, Squirt!"

Bee didn't listen though; he was calling for Optimus and Hide.

"_Hide! Optimus! Hide! Optimus! Hide! Optimus! Hide!" _He called out to both bonds that were linked to him as he leapt from Ratchet's grip despite the yelp of protest and the two snarls of the twins as Sideswipe lunged forward and snatched him out of the air yanking him back up only to have Bee go back to scrambling trying to get to the floor.

"Bumblebee! Quit it!" Sides growled worriedly trying to keep the little mech in his grip. Bee went right on ignoring him as he felt the curious pulses from his guardian and his Optimus.

"_Bee?" _Hide pulsed back.

"_Young one?" _Optimus answered.

"_Want you!" _Bee all but hollered over the bond as he kept rolling around in Sides' grip trying to get to the floor.

"Bumblebee!" Suddenly all the wiggling and scrambling stopped as Bee squeaked quietly when he found himself dangling in the air by his scruff bar in Sunstreaker's grip. The handsome golden mech was glaring at him through narrowed optics. Bee decided right then that it would be a good idea to stop his wiggling and be still now. "Knock it off!"

His antennas folded down and he whimpered slightly.

"That's enough." Ratchet quickly took the youngling from the frontliner with a stern look, but Bee wasn't really all that sure who Ratchet was talking too. Him or Sunny. He figured it was better to be quiet just in case.

Then he huffed.

His arms itched again, but at the moment he really didn't care.

That was when Ironhide burst through the medical bay door with Optimus right behind him. The youngling hadn't answered the further questions in his spark after he hollered for them and when that happened they dropped everything and came to the little one's side at once.

"What the pit is going on?" Hide growled at the sight before him.

And Bumblebee came back to life in an instant.

"Hide!" He cried happily wiggling in the medic's grip again until he got lightly thumped over the head.

"I told you to be still!" Ratchet had to rein in the hiss in his voice that wanted out, but when Bee went still again it made him sigh.

"Ratchet?" Optimus asked hesitantly as he and Ironhide strolled in their optics fixed on the now very still youngling in the CMO's palm.

"He wants you. Take him." Ratchet grumbled dumping the little yellow bundle in Ironhide's hands before he went to make another cube of energon for the tiny mech. The two officers shared a glance before looking down to Bee who was still sitting very quietly in his guardian's palm.

The twins were watching Ratchet along with Bee and since they were here when whatever happened, happened and now that Ratchet was grumbling under his breath in his office they figured their best shot at answers were the two warriors.

"Sunstreaker, is something wrong?" Optimus asked.

"Wrench says he's having a growth spurt." The golden mech answered making both the Prime and weapons specialist go very still.

"Growing!" Bee chirped quietly making Ironhide turn his gaze back down to the little mech.

He couldn't help his smile at the happiness that was positively radiating from Bumblebee's frame.

"Well it's about time." He told him though the words weren't as happy as Bee would have thought they should be. They were amused, but not really all that overjoyed. It confused him a little bit, but in all honesty he was too happy to care at the moment.

Bee resumed his bouncing completely ignoring the looks that passed between the mechs around him though.

"**Ironhide," **Ratchet started as he returned from his office holding a cube of energon.

"**I know what growth spurts are like Ratch, you don't have to explain them to me." **The ebony mech said watching his son bounce.

"**It explains his look last night." **Optimus stated, nodding slowly as he watched the youngling. **"So he wasn't being fully honest."**

"**He was scared of Wrench sticking him with stuff." **Sides defended quietly.

"**After all he went through with the viper do you really blame him?" **Sunny added.

"**No," **Ratchet sighed. **"But I am going to have to give him medicine to keep him from scratching himself raw. These next few orns aren't going to be as fun as he thinks they will be."**

"**Oh let him be happy, Ratchet." **Sides pleaded. **"He hates being so small."**

"**Well it's time he stopped." **Ratchet cast him a knowing look. **"He's always going to be smaller than the rest of us."**

"**Well he doesn't need to know that yet." **Sunstreaker crossed his arms with a huff.

All the while the mechs around him had been on comm links—he knew they had he had grown to know what it felt like—Bumblebee had taken it upon himself to sit there giggling quietly as he played with Ironhide's fingers trying to imagine just how much he might actually grow. He didn't figure it would be much. He was still young after all, but that really didn't matter to the little mechling.

He was going to _grow_!

He felt like giggling for the rest of the orn.

In fact that was just what he planned to do.

Well that is until a plate of his protoform along his side seized up in what could only be compared to a human muscle spasms as it shifted and cracked making Bee let out a pained squeak as he doubled over in Ironhide's palm bright blue tears rushing to his big optics.

Ironhide startled at the sudden change, but he hardly had time to feel his spark cringe in fear at the sight before Ratchet had snatched the youngling from him and had him placed on a soft berth crouching down in front of him as Bee sucked in a pain breath the exhale coming out as a sob when the plating along his side protested to the movement of him sucking in air. A few blue tears leaked down his cheeks before there was a slight pinch in his arm, then the pain faded away again as quickly as it came.

Blinking at the difference the little mech looked up to find a needle in Ratchet's had before it poofed back into subspace.

He stuck him?

He_ stuck _him!

Bee shot him a pout.

"What? Would you have rather hurt?" Ratchet lifted an optic ridge at him. "It's not enough to numb your spark, Squirt. Just enough to keep the pain away."

As if to test the words Bee reached out and poked at the medic's spark with his own earning himself a small grin and a pulse in answer to his poking. Bee went right back to giggling.

Growing.

He still couldn't believe it!

* * *

Curled up in a fuzzy blanket with his head resting on Jazz's silver chest and with a rather large orange energon sucker in his mouth Bumblebee was the complete and utter picture of contentment.

However, the same could not be said for the bright blue mech that was seated by himself in the quiet mess hall far away from the saboteur and the youngling. Both the officer and the youngling were watching the young trainee medic closely though as he sipped quietly at his energon.

The other three halves of the Autobot crew were running around the ship in loud merriment while the commanders and other officers were in a meeting—Jazz had been exempt simply because Bee threw a hissy fit about not being able to go and refused any other caretaker besides Jazzy since Ironhide and Optimus really did have to stay—so the mess hall was abnormally empty and quiet since all the mechs were either in the rec room or on the other ships causing havoc as they partied. Prowl had decreed that until the meetings were finished that no mech was to be swiping high grade from the mess halls so the doors had been locked. The only reason it wasn't happening anyway was because the mechs knew they could get it later, but Jazz had been allowed in seeing as it would be a quiet place to try and get the youngling to nap.

However, the silver mech had been admittedly surprised when he turned the hall to the locked doors with a blanket wrapped an energon goody satisfied youngling to find Jolt leaning against the doors with an empty cube of energon.

One look into those electric blue optics and Jazz had seen the pain and fear glittering there. He asked no questions. He just opened the door and let the blue mech in.

Jolt had yet to touch the high grade though.

He simply got a cube of regular fuel, retreated to a far away table, and sat quietly.

It was making the silver mech's armor crawl.

Jolt was far from being a loud mech, but something was defiantly wrong with him, and Jazz had no idea how to approach the subject. He knew next to nothing about the newbie. Not even mister smooth talker himself knew how to figure this mech out. Not yet.

However, it seemed he might not have too.

Because when he glanced down to the youngling in his arms he found mischief and worry swimming in his optics.

Jazz realized that would probably be his best shot.

Leaning down his whispered in Bee's audio receptors. "Lil' Bee?"

Bee chirped in reply.

"Wanna help me cheer up Jolt?"

An earnest nod and then both of them were across the mess hall sitting at Jolt's table. The bright blue mech looked up slowly to find the little youngling with a sucker still in his mouth and his present caretaker before him. Shaking his head to the sight he went back to sipping his energon.

With a rather loud pop Bee yanked his sucker out of his mouth, pushed himself to his feet, kept his blanket wrapped tightly around his shoulders, and toddled across the table to stand in front of Jolt. The bright mech lifted an optic ridge at him in return.

Bee smiled.

Jolt stared.

The bright smile became a pout.

Jolt continued to stare.

And then Bee huffed out loud, rolled his optics quite dramatically, and stuck the sucker up into the air above his head offering it up to his new friend.

The sight actually got Jolt to smile a little bit before he sat his cup down and pet the youngling's head.

"I do not need your sucker, Bee. You keep it."

"But Jolt not happy."

"I'm fine."

"Lie." Bee's antennas folded down.

"No I'm not. Everything is fine."

"You're a really bad liar, Jolt. Anybot ever told ya that?" Jazz spoke up with a grin.

He looked away. "I've not had much practice."

"We know . . . ." Jazz sighed searching for the right words. "Look young mech if there is something bothering you I'm all audios."

"It is not your concern."

"Mech," Jazz's gaze narrowed at that. "Like or not you're a part of this crew now and that makes you a part of the family. What troubles one of us _is _the others' concern. We look after each other. It's the way this place works. We're a million times better together than we are apart. The nano-klick that you agreed to be Ratchet's apprentice you agreed to that. So yes mech it is my concern. Now spill."

Jolt looked the older silver mech over as he spoke in surprised confusion until a poke on his arm drew his optics to the table. Bumblebee was standing before him wearing that beaming smile of his as he offered up sucker again his big optics twinkling with innocent magnificent that sent Jolt's spark doing summersaults. He wondered what it would be like to let that little mechling in, to be as close to him as the other mechs were, to know the bubbly joy that just seemed to spill into the very air around him.

He would be lying to himself if he said he didn't want to know the sense of family that made this place up . . . but he was afraid.

All he'd ever been was alone.

He didn't know how to be anything else.

And he certainly didn't know how to face the towering commander that was currently sitting in a meeting.

Come on, what was he supposed to do?

Walk up and say 'Hey I'm the sparkling your mate was carrying when you thought she was killed, but she was really just taken and killed later.' . . . yeah that was going to go over well.

They'd all either put a plasma round through his spark or check him into the medical bay as having lost his processor.

There was no good way to do this. So he didn't want to do it, but he knew he couldn't keep his secret forever.

Because the bots around him already knew something was familiar about him, something they just couldn't place, but they knew it all the same. A few had known Artemis he figured so that was why he had no doubt they recognized how much he looked like her in the faceplate and optics. He'd never seen Ultra Magnus so he had no idea if he looked at all like him, but there was one thing he was positive of.

The sparkmate of his carrier was going to know her youngling when he saw him.

Something just told him it would happen.

And he wasn't sure he was ready for it.

Sighing as he rubbed a finger between his optics the young blue mech whispered. "You've no idea what I'd give to just vanish into the background again . . . and you've no idea what I'd do for some high grade right about now, but sadly I don't drink it."

* * *

"Ha-ha!" Hot Rod swung into a swivel chair spinning it around with far too much excitement for a mech his age. Not that he cared in the slightest. "It's been too damn long, mechs!"

Optimus couldn't help his chuckle at the slightly younger commander's actions.

The red and gold highlighted with yellow mech was right though. It had been too long since they were all together.

"What's it been?" Roddy grinned. "Since the little trouble maker came along right?"

Ironhide snorted with amusement. "There about."

"Where's Jazz?" Glancing around him the vibrant blue optics of the youngest commander danced around Prime's conference room and all the familiar faceplates; Prowl, Ratchet, Ironhide, Ultra Magnus, Crosshairs, Quickfire, First Aid, Hammerdown, and Jumpwire.

However, there was a faceplate missing from the bunch.

Cyber's.

The reminder of the empty chair sitting there cold and dark wasn't needed, for any of them, but especially not Roddy's crew. Definitely not Roddy.

No, Hot Rod was very much aware that his loyal solider and ranked officer—for all intensive purposes—was gone. Offlined by Shockwave's hand trying to protect the youngling. He was gone and he was never coming back.

Hammerdown's best friend was just _gone_.

Gone . . . never to be replaced.

And because of that Hot Rod refused to fill the empty chair. He just couldn't do it. His ship had never been as organized or 'protocol' based as Prime's or Magnus'. He never really named officers like they did. It just wasn't how he ran his ship.

He didn't fell like he needed it.

His most loyal and trusted bots were his officers without need for a title.

Though now he really only had two left. Which was a sad fact in and of itself.

Hammerdown was one. The big battle hardened mech who was falling into the tread marks left for him quite well. He was proving that he was more than capable of being all and more of what Ironhide had taught him to be. He didn't bare the title weapons specialist—he didn't want it—but he fit the role.

He wasn't the same though.

They all knew that.

He was still grieving for the latest brother that had been lost to him. He still missed his best friend. He very much still needed that anchor back to solid ground . . . to sanity.

That anchor was gone though, and it was never coming back.

That was a fact Hammer was having to come to terms with. His once again rekindled family was trying to help with that but there was only so much that even Ironhide could do.

Just as now when he sat across the large table from the younger blue and black mech he saw the pain behind the smile. He saw the guilt and the spark-ache.

Some orns were better than others. When he was goofing off, messing with Hide or Bee, or playing with his blasters. He was fine. Though when he was forced to sit there beside an empty chair and be reminded.

Well . . . those were the not so good orns.

He took it with a grin though.

He obeyed his place at his commander's side, and Ironhide watched him with pride for it. He loved him all the more for it. He just wished there was something he could do to make it better for him.

The only other 'officer' Hot Rod had was Jumpwire, his Chief Medic.

And Jumpwire . . . well he was a mech that fell in perfectly among Roddy's crew. He was a far cry from Ratchet's strict, gruff, beat-stupidly-out-of-mechs-with-a-wrench tactics of running a medical bay and that might be the best thing he had going for him as far as his whole crew was concerned. He was laid back and friendly, not easily pissed off, hardly ever pissed off actually, and that was a welcomed change for a lot of bots.

Because even Quickfire and First Aid had their orns where they were chasing mechs with buzz saws.

With Wire though, bots came to see him just to say hi and to ask what they could do to help him. Because Wire was always buried in something or another that he had put off until the last klick. The tall, lanky, lime green mech highlighted with two blue streaks down across his chest was nothing like Ratchet.

Maybe that had something to do with the fact that he was the only medic in the Autobot ranks that hadn't been trained by him. He grew up in the glory of Iacon. He went to school to be a doctor. He was the only one besides Ratchet that had seen any classroom based training.

Quickfire and First Aid had just been trained in the field by Ratchet and now Jolt would be the same.

It was true, Wire and Ratchet had very different methods of going about their duties, but the younger green mech respected Ratchet will all his spark.

After all . . . he owed the mech his life.

"Some bot has to keep Bee occupied." Quickfire almost purred as she reclined in her chair her feet propped up in First Aid's lap as the white and red mech sat next to the orange, red, and yellow femme. She looked content with her arms crossed over her small yet lethal frame and though First Aid looked like he'd much more appreciate being anything else than his comrade's foot rest he couldn't hide the silly light in his bright optics.

They might bicker like siblings, but they loved each other like them just the same.

"I'd have watched him." Hammerdown shrugged. He didn't add the 'much better than being here' part, but it was in his optics.

"Oh no," Jumpwire smirked. "You get to help me out with this report."

Hammerdown whined pitifully. "Oh come on. You don't need my help. You know when the last time I actually finished and filed a report was?"

"Umm how about never?" Quickfire giggled at him.

"Oh like you do any slaggin' better."

"I do actually." She smirked.

"Please, Aid does all the reports."

"No he doesn't!"

"Yes I do." First Aid muttered.

"Stay out of this you traitor!" Fire smacked him over the back of his head.

"Oww! Last fraggin' time I help you."

"You big sparkling." Quickfire rolled her optics with a huff yanking her feet from his lap and pulling them back into her chair.

"Oh yeah _I'm _the sparkling!" First Aid grumbled at her.

"How is it you two ever get anything done?" Prowl commented from down the table.

He was ignored.

"Yes you _are_ a sparkling. Worse than him!" She jammed a thumb over at Hammerdown.

"Hey!" The big blue brute sat up right in his chair glaring at the femme. "I am _not _a sparkling!"

"Yes you are." Fire snipped.

"I think you're both sparklings." First Aid leaned back in his chair rolling his optics.

Both Hammer and Fire sent him seething glares.

Jumpwire laughed when they started yelling at the pour white and red medic while he cast his optics down to Magnus who was resting his head against his hand which was propped up by his elbow on the table as he massaged between his closed optics.

"Do they ever stop bickering?" Wire questioned motioning between the two partner medics as they snapped at each other playfully yet seriously with Hammerdown only fueling the picking.

Magnus lifted his head with a sarcastic huff. "What? They are bickering again? I can't tell. I've learned to tune it out. Don't even hear it anymore."

That got all the bots laughing.

"Oh you wouldn't know what to do without us." Quickfire beamed brightly down the table to her commander.

"I could give you back to Ratchet and find out." Ultra Magnus snorted.

"Please!" First Aid sat up straight in his chair clasping his hands together to beg his commander. "Please! _Please_! Send her back! I might actually be able to find the floor of the medical bay if she left!"

Hammerdown threw his head back laughing when Quickfire nailed her best friend over the audios with a data pad.

"YOU FRAGGIN' MESS IT UP TOO FRAGGIN' GLITCH!"

"I do not!"

"Both of you knock it the slag off!" Ratchet's snap muted them both. "You're behaving worse than Bee when he hasn't had a nap. Mute it. We actually do have stuff to discuss."

They quit their bickering.

"Sorry, Ratch." They mumbled together to their former mentor.

He glared at them darkly with no real anger in his optics, but the warning was still there, for a moment before he cut the look over to a snickering Hammerdown.

Hammer decided it would be a good idea to hush up too.

For another few klicks all was quiet until Hot Rod leaned forward against the table grinning as he glanced to Ratchet and Prime.

"So how is my transferred trainee medic?"

"Yeah! Where's Jolt?" Jumpwire added with his own smile. He liked the bright blue mech. He considered him a friend. Even if he wasn't sure Jolt really knew how to have friends.

"Off doing who knows what. Probably getting into trouble with Sideswipe." Ratchet shrugged. "He's smart though. He'll make a good medic."

"Can't believe you swiped him." Jumpwire mumbled falling back in his chair with a huff. Ratchet just rolled his optics at the younger bright mech that he'd saved all those vorns ago. He could still feel the heat of the flames and hear the screams of bots sometimes when he looked to the mech and saw the jagged weld scar that marred his right optic starting right above it and running all the way down to his chin in a harsh line. It was the reminder of the dagger strike meant to end him that missed for no other reason than Wire was not as passive as first looks might make a mech think. He was a skilled warrior and a lethal adversary when he was pissed off.

That night in Iacon had been one of those times.

Though both mechs knew that Jumpwire never would have made it out of that crumbling school if Ratchet hadn't hauled him back to his feet and drug him from the pandemonium. Neither really liked to talk about the joors that Iacon fell though.

It was a truth better left to silence.

"You have enough help." Ratchet retorted.

"Maybe if you wouldn't smack everybot that comes through your doors you would to." Wire sassed only to have a screwdriver nail him between the optics.

"Mute it." Ratchet glared lightly while the other CMO pouted and rubbed at the scratch.

"That's what I'm talking about."

A low growl.

"Alright," Roddy took the conversation before every medic in the room decided that it would be a good idea to try and kill each other just to see who could pull it off. He rolled his optics. It was pointless anyway. They all knew Ratchet would win. "How about we get down to business so we can get out of this slagged room and go have some fun."

"Remind me again who made Hot Rod a commander of this army." Crosshairs lifted and optic ridge as he glanced between his Prime and his unit commander both of which he'd watched grow up.

Magnus snorted while Optimus laughed.

"That would be that glitch." Hot Rod pointed down the table to his towering friend and leader.

Ironhide and Hammerdown about died of laughter at that comment.

"Primus! I missed having that glitch around." Hide snorted through his laughter.

"Over grown sparklings." Crosshairs sighed rubbing at his forehead. "The lot of you."

"And you wouldn't change us if you could." Quickfire beamed.

"How is it we _ever_ get _anything_ done?" Prowl repeated himself with a heavy breath.

"Normally we don't." Ultra Magnus put in playfully.

"I'd have to disagree." Optimus finally spoke up. "I think we get quite a lot done. Besides laughter is good for the spark. Primus knows we need more of it.

"Your crew gets enough of it." Quickfire suddenly pouted. "You get to keep Bumblebee."

"Femme has a point." Jumpwire added.

"Yeah, you mechs get to keep the morel mascot." Hammerdown snapped.

"That's right." Ironhide grinned down the table at all of them. "We do."

"You could share you know." Hammer crossed his arms.

"He's not a pet to pass off between ships, Hammer." First Aid told him.

"But they get the happy, bubbly, goofy little thing all the time. It's not fair!"

"He's where he wants to be." Crosshairs told the frontliner jokingly.

Prowl slumped down in his seat in exasperation. "Wasn't there a point to this meeting? Because if there isn't it is only logical to end it so we can just let the twins have the high grade before they blast down the mess hall doors looking for it."

All of a sudden Quickfire leaned across her chair to close the distance between herself and the white and black mech in the chair right next to her, bright blue optics glittering for a moment with mirth. Prowl watched her with apprehension while the rest of the table was trying really hard not to laugh when she reached out and poked the mech in the arm.

And then kept doing it.

"I swear," Prowl narrowed his gaze at the young, brightly colored femme who kept poking at his armor. "Are you _sure _you aren't somehow related to Sideswipe?"

The whole table keeled over in laughter.

Trying to keep her giggling aft in her chair while she hung over empty space Fire grinned madly. "I just had to make sure you were real. After all, Prowl never slumps."

The SIC straightened in his chair while he glared.

That got another round of laughter.

"Oh pit! Where is Jazz at a time like this!?" Hammer laughed uncontrollably holding his middle. "He's gonna throw a fit for missing it!"

They laughed a good while after that at Prowl's expense, but the two tone tactician didn't really seem to mind and sat there quietly until the laughter died away and all optics turned to Optimus.

Because they really did have things to discuss.

"Anymore encrypted messages from strange and unknown sources?" Hot Rod asked him.

Optimus's deep gaze darkened.

"I'll take that as a yes." Magnus let out a breath.

With a slight nod Optimus reached for a data pad before sliding it down the table to his fellow commanders.

"That makes four. And once again that is all Jazz, Wheeljack, and Preceptor can decode." Was all he said as the two seated next to each other glanced to the words on the screen.

**Prime:**

**Desperate situation.**

**Need help.**

**Heading back.**

"Well that makes loads of sense." Hot Rod snorted handing the device around. "That's worse than the other three."

"In the doesn't make a pit damned amount of sense department? Yes it is." Ratchet grumbled.

"This is a trap." Ironhide growled.

"I'm with Hide." Hammer nodded.

"It is most likely." Crosshairs offered. "It's coded so the whole message cannot be read."

"It's driving Jazz and Perceptor nuts." Prowl added with a sigh. "They do not like not being able to decode things."

"I just want to know who it's from." Quickfire said. "Someone is desperately trying to get your attention, Prime."

"And the 'heading back' part. That's the one that gets me." Jumpwire put in. "Like they are supposed to be here or something."

"Trap." First Aid sat back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest. "Lord Mighty Mega-idiot has been far too quiet lately. They've only attacked one outpost in the last Decacycle. Something is up."

"Yes," Optimus rubbed a hand down his faceplate. "But the question is what."

"If old big, bad, and ugly thinks he's getting his claws on Bee again he's got another thing coming." Hammerdown snorted as his blasters hummed in anger.

Quickfire's optics narrowed dangerously as memories of a few vorns ago flashed behind them. "I'd like to see him try."

"Easy you two." Magnus warned them. "Bumblebee is fine."

"And he's gonna stay fine." Hammer bit.

His last best friend had died to make sure that happened. His teacher-might-as-well-be-older-brother's life revolved around that little bundle of wires and metal. Too much relied on that little youngling and Hammer was going to make sure 'fine' was just how he stayed.

"Yes he is," Hide shot a warm yet warning glance to Hammer reminding him where he was and that nothing was wrong. The big blue and black mech calmed down slightly at the look.

"I have been running the possibilities." Prowl spoke up drawing every bots attention.

"Do tell." Ratchet prompted leaning back in his chair and crossed his fingers on the table.

"With the limited information we already have it is . . . difficult to come up with logical reasoning besides the obvious possibilities such as a trap, a way to draw Optimus out, or a way to put us on edge and over compensate not seeing something bluntly obvious."

"You mean like last time when we let a virus-viper into Bumblebee's berth." Ironhide growled out the dark words that weren't a question in the slightest bit.

"Yes," Prowl nodded solemnly. "That is just what I mean. There are far too many variables in this new issue that have not yet been defined. I will need more time and more information, but there is one new variable that has been added that wasn't there before. A variable that appeared just after the messages started coming in."

"What variable is that?" Optimus questioned.

"Jolt."

The room went very still after that for a good seven klicks until Ratchet slowly turned to glare over at Prowl.

"You think my new trainee has something to do with this!?"

"All I know for fact is that the young mech is hiding something." Prowl curved Ratchet growling with the hard truth. "Something he doesn't want any of us to know."

"He's just quiet, Prowl." Jumpwire defended. "He's been alone all his life from what I managed to get out of him. He doesn't really get the whole team work thing yet I don't think. He'll come around. But he isn't some 'Con spy if that's what you're thinking."

"I do not think he is a 'Con." Prowl clarified, once again hating that he had to be the one that was being logical and blunt about all this. However, it was his place and his purpose and he would do what was necessary to protect all of his family. Even if it meant suspecting their newest member. "But I do know he is not being fully honest with us."

"Every bot has secrets." Hot Rod reminded. "You being one of them."

Prowl held him in a steady gaze. "But mine to do not threaten the well being of this ship. Something is off about what he is hiding. He walks his own ship like he's treading around landmines. He is afraid of something coming to light. I do not think he has intentions of harming Bumblebee. If I did he would not be here," His optics flashed cold at the threat behind those words. "But he is hiding something and I want to know what. I do not like so many unknown variables on my own ship."

"Then perhaps it is best if he no longer had secrets." Ultra Magnus said.

"You can't _make_ him spill his spark." Hot Rod argued.

Optimus let out a heavy breath. "Prowl is right. Something is off. He is afraid of something and I will not have one of my own soldiers scared of his home. If we can help we will help. And I will admit it is a little strange that Jolt showed up just after their first message."

"Maybe it's just a coincident." Jumpwire offered.

"I do not believe in coincident." Prowl answered.

The table was quiet for a long spark-beat as each and every one of them weighed the information out in their processors.

"I'll comm Jolt to your office." Ratchet grumbled to Optimus as he glared down to the cold metal table before him.

* * *

A million and one things were running through Jolt's processor.

None of them very good as he thought out his options.

He even considered sneaking off the ship while no mech was watching and just disappearing back into the shadows from which he came. Though he knew that would be pointless. No part of him—well besides the part that was scared out of his fragging processor—wanted to leave the Autobots. He liked them.

He'd never had a . . . family . . . of any kind.

He didn't want to lose this new one.

He enjoyed Bumblebee. Enjoyed sitting back and watching a living, breathing, youngling just exist. He brought warmth to his spark he thought he'd never know again after he heard the Sectors fell.

No.

He would not runaway again.

He would stand up tall and face what was behind these terrifying silver doors. Even if it meant he was going to face a plasma round in his spark.

After all he had survived _there_.

He could survive anything else Primus threw at him, and if he couldn't. Well at least he would get to see all those he'd loved and lost again . . . get to see his Carrier again.

Stealing himself for what was to come he knocked his knuckles against the surface of the Prime's office door and waited.

"Enter," Was called out through the metal and Jolt stepped through the swishing doorway to find himself staring at Prime, Prowl, Hot Rod, and Ultra Magnus though in all reality he was only looking at Ultra Magnus and the commander . . . well he kinda looked like he was about to glitch.

In fact he just might have if he hadn't of been who he was. Instead though he pushed himself from his chair in one fluid movement the action startling his fellow commanders and the SIC of Prime into looking at him and not the entering young mech.

Jolt didn't say a word.

Just stood an inch inside the doorway so it could close behind him with his electric blue optics guarded and his short doorwings pinned tightly against his back. His whole posture screamed defensive—even the deadly cackling whips that lay curled up in his arms hummed in deadly purpose with the stress that was running through his spark and he knew they all could hear it—but he couldn't help it.

He was standing there staring at the faceplate he never thought he'd know and that mech was staring back at him like he'd just said he knew a way to win the war.

It wasn't really a situation the quiet, kinda shy, not very good with words mech wanted to find himself in. Yet here he stood.

Because it was time to face the music.

He'd kept his mouth shut long enough.

"Magnus?" The word left Hot Rod though Jolt didn't spare the commander a glance. He just watched the towering tri-tone. "Ultra Magnus?"

The commander's mouth opened, but no words came out. He just kind of gapped like a fish and Jolt took pity on him.

"Hello, commander." He said his voice tight, guarded, and afraid.

Ultra Magnus gulped a sound between a whimper and a choke, but no words came out.

"Magnus?" Optimus rose from his chair his hand coming to rest of his friend's shoulder as Hot Rod watched them both carefully. Prowl however was staring through narrow optics his processor running a million miles a nano-klick. Something wasn't right. Ultra Magnus was staring at the new comer like he'd just come across a ghost. Which was not possible since Jolt was very much alive, but the haunted kind of terrified to be hopeful look in the massive mech's optics said that something was really not right here.

Magnus had never been the most outspoken mech. He was the quiet, level headed commander, he acted with controlled precision. He watched more than he talked. It was just the kind of mech he was, but the fact that he now couldn't get his fragging vocal processor to utter a word was starting to drive him glitchy. All he could do was stare into those electric blue optics that stared back at him. Those electric blue optics and that soft, sculpted, angled faceplate. He looked so much like her.

_So _fraggin' much!

The doorwings on his back twitched painful at being held the way they were, but all Jolt could do was take a shallow breath. Since it seemed no words were going to come out of the mech before him, he figured he'd just have to come up with them himself.

"I guess . . . since we've never really met . . . ." Damn this was harder than he thought it would be. "I . . . umm . . . my name is Jolt." He finished pitifully and the scared tone of his voice didn't go unnoticed by the mechs in the room.

Optimus looked between the trainee medic, his stocked silent friend, and Prowl who was taking in the room with narrowed optics.

"_What's going on, Magnus?" _Optimus reached out yanking almost harshly on the long ago formed bond between him and his fellow commander. It had the desired effect. Magnus snapped back into focus though his throat worked harshly to keep the tears he felt crawl up at bay.

Taking a shaky breath he shook his head trying to clear his processor.

It wasn't possible.

It just wasn't possible!

She was gone! And that unsparked sparkling had died in her womb.

There was no way that he could be looking at what he thought he was looking at!

Clamping down on his emotions he fought with the urges in his spark and straightened his posture back to the proud Autobot commander that he was. He couldn't hide the panic and the pain in his optics though. For he was lost in a world of memory.

* * *

_He felt warm, light, like he could jump up and touch the Well of Sparks as it shown in the stars up above. It was a feeling like he'd never known and the only thing he knew to do about it was reach forward, yank the beautiful gold and blue femme from her place before him, and spin her around their makeshift berthroom laughing for all he was worth._

_The musical sound of her own laughter and happy sobs filled his audios and he just crushed her tighter to his frame spinning them around again and again until he collapsed against a wall holding her tightly to him while he stared down with watery optics into her electric blue orbs._

"_I take it that means you're happy?" She giggled up at him._

_All Magnus could do was nod vigorously as he nuzzled his faceplate into her neck. Her grip around him in turn tightened as she ran careful hands up his back in smoothing motions as she sighed softly in his audios. _

"_Me too," She whispered._

_Pulling back Magnus cupped his beautiful mate's cheeks in his hands leaning down to kiss her lightly before pulling back just the slightest bit and resting his forehead on hers._

"_I'm going to be a Sire." He breathed._

_She chuckled. "Technically you already are."_

_He snorted in return though he kept his smile. For a moment there was no uprising. There was no Megatron trying to destroy the noble cities. There was no pain, death, and fear. There was no fact that they were currently living in an underground, secret military base on the outskirts of what was left of Iacon trying to form an army. There was no fact that his best friend's brother was trying to kill them all._

_There was no threat of death lingering in every shadow._

_There was only him, Artemis, and the pulsing little life that was growing inside her._

_Closing his optics he softly whispered to her. "We're going to be creators."_

"_Yes," She leaned forward pecking him on the lips. "We are. Didn't I tell you, Magnus? Hope will never die."_

"_Not as long as I have the two of you." He agreed._

* * *

_Magnus_ _stood with his arms crossed glaring at the screen before him as Ratchet, Ironhide, Prowl, Jazz, Hot Rod, and Optimus stood around with him glaring just the same._

"_That was too fraggin' close." Ironhide hissed slamming his fist into the wall beside him as the video footage of the attacked base from a few joors early faded to black before him._

"_There was nothing at that base of any remote importance." Jazz snapped. "Why did he slaggin' blow it up!?"_

_Prowl shot him a look. "Because the femmes and Whiteout were there."_

_The mechs whose mates and sparklings had almost been murdered in the attack snarled low at the words as they glared at the dark screen before them._

"_He's targeting your greatest weakness." Hot Rod mumbled angrily. "Fragged up in the processor two-bit glitched data chip!"_

"_We knew he would." Optimus let out a defeated sounding breath, turning from the screen his optics narrowed and calculating. _

"_I'll kill the bastard." Ratchet swore darkly._

"_Not if I kill him first." The words leaving Magnus were shocking and yet not as he curled his hands into fist at his side. His unsparked sparkling and his mate had almost been killed by that fraggin' mad mech. The rage growing in his spark was making his whole system vibrate in anger. He hadn't even felt this angry when Iacon fell. _

_No. _

_This was nothing like that. _

_This was anger grown out of fear and pain._

_He'd come _this _close to losing everything he cared about. Just because they were connected to him._

_This had to change._

"_This can't happen again." Magnus lifted his optics to Optimus and for a moment the two commanders held each other's gaze before Optimus smiled a weak, scared, kind of smile._

"_Alright, than you can be the one to tell them we're locking them away from the battle for their home." _

_Ratchet and Ironhide snorted in pain._

"_Yeah, like Chromia is going slaggin' anywhere. I try to tell her to get off the front lines she'll blow my head off." Ironhide mumbled miserably. "She won't stop fighting. Not even to move Whiteout. She feels like if she's not fighting she's not protecting him."_

"_Arcee would rather die than hide behind the battle lines. Not when she can fight and fix." Ratchet sighed. "And I can't tell her not too."_

"_And Elita would most surly leave my aft before she allowed me to tell her what she can and cannot do." Optimus nodded tiredly. _

_Magnus smiled with defeat. "Yes . . . I don't even want to breach the subject to Artemis."_

"_She'd go straight for the spike." Jazz nodded sadly. "They all would."_

"_Yep." Hot Rod crossed his arms over his chest. "And it would be a painfully slow detachment."_

"_The chances of them leaving the battle lines is about 3.52%." Prowl breathed. "The changes of Megatron continuing to target them as all of ours' greatest weakness; 100%."_

"_Thanks for the words of optimism, Prowler." Jazz groaned. _

"_I am simply being realistic." _

"_What are we going to do?" Ironhide ran a hand down his faceplate. _

_Optimus and Ultra Magnus cast each other a glance._

"_We stop him." The new Prime__ said, a new conviction in his voice._

* * *

_A_ _brokenness like which he had never known swam in the powerful tri-tone commander's chest. His normal calm, calculating, dark blue optics now void of anything, but the emptiness that had consumed him. _

_She was gone._

_They both were gone._

_Lowering his head to his hands Magnus pushed his fingers into his closed optics to keep the tears at bay. He had cried enough. Honestly . . . he didn't really think there were any tears left inside to cry._

_With a quiet swish the door to his office opened and then closed again with an eerie stillness that Magnus ignored and his guest cringed at. He didn't care. There was nothing left inside his spark to care with. His sparkmate and his unsparked creation were gone. What point did he have for living now?_

_A heavy with dread, pain, and guilt hand lay on his shoulder but the mech didn't need to lift his optics to know that it was Optimus. He didn't protest when his towering friend sank down into the spare chair beside him, scooted closer, and pulled him into a frame crushing hug. He just kept his head bowed as his friend sat a quiet vigil over him into the long joors of the night._

_Because nothing either one of them said was going to change the agony inside._

* * *

_He_ _knew their pain. _

_He knew it more than he let himself remember most orns, but that didn't mean he was saying he understood it. No . . . there was no way anybot could ever truly understand another's sparkbreak. There was no way to express the pain that was having the other half of a spark ripped away . . . there was no way to console the loss of a sparkling. _

_Maybe that was why he said nothing. _

_Instead he was just there. _

_A silent support like they had been for him half a vorn ago. He was just there. A shoulder to lean on and a spark that had felt the pain. _

_He offered no words. No words would ever make it better._

_Nothing would ever make it better._

_No amount of revenge or anything like it could ever make it better. Because it would never bring them back. _

_Nothing would ever bring them back._

_So all he could do for his friends was to just be there. Sit there in silence watching the florescent lights of the medical bay flicker from the power grid struggling. _

_He could just sit there and pretend he didn't hear the not so silent tears._

* * *

_"You_ _never stop amazing me, Roddy." Ratchet said in amazement as the officers stood in the dark tunnels under Tyger Pax._

"_Well . . . ." Hot Rod shrugged. "I was bored." _

"_We should make you bored more often." Prowl snorted._

"_Yeah . . . ." Jazz for once in his life was kind of at a loss for words. "You build ships . . . really nice ships."_

"_I haven't named them yet." Hot Rod cast a look over to Ultra Magnus as he stood silently observing the eight mighty vessels before them. "Though I did already pick yours, Magnus."_

_The tall mech cast him a glance with a lifted optic ridge. "Really?"_

"_Yeah," Hot Rod paused, thinking over how he was going to do this. "It's that one." _

_The other mechs looked to the long, sleek, silver battleship that sat among the others._

"_It is quite impressive." Ultra Magnus nodded with the hint of a smile. "But why that one, Hot Rod?"_

_The brightly colored commander flashed him a bright grin. "Because that's the design Artemis was working on."_

_The tri-tone commander's spark stilled in his chest for a moment as he stared down at the shorter mech before turning his attention back to the ship. His lip quivered slightly despite himself as his processor and spark became lost to the past._

_Hot Rod and Optimus who watched their friend closely pretended not to notice._

_Swallowing the mixture of emotions Magnus offered his friend a rare easy smile. "Thank you, Roddy."_

_The shorter mech just grinned. "I wasn't being fully honest in the name department though."_

_The other mechs raised their optic ridges._

"_Oh really?" Ironhide laughed._

"_Yeah kinda pick out your ship's name too." He kept his optics on Ultra Magnus._

"_And what would that be?"_

"Artemis 1_."_

_For a moment once again all Magnus could do was stare until he quickly turned his attention back to the ships to hide the tears glittering in his optics from his fellow mechs. _

"_It fits."_

* * *

_Optimus_ _blinked at him in disbelief._

"_You can't be serious."_

"_I'm very serious." Magnus nodded as he stood looking out the window of the ground base thinking over the events of the last Decacycle. _

_Optimus' battleship had been blown to tiny little pieces. That marked the count up to five. All of Hot Rod's and his crew's hard work was making very good cannon fader for Megatron. Now they only had three ships left. The _Long Bow, Artemis 1_, and the _Axalon _that was still safely hidden away in the tunnels under Tyger Pax. _

_It was logical to assume that since Prime was now without a ship that he would get the one that had not yet been risen from the tunnels. However, the notion unnerved Magnus. He had no doubt in Hot Rod's skills at making ships. That was not why he had brought up this subject. _

_He doubted Megatron wasting a nano-klick in trying to gun down his brother's whole crew a second time just to prove that he could. Ultra Magnus wanted Optimus to take his ship to confuse the war lord. He would not think that Magnus would take the new ship, and when he launched his no doubt coming second assault on Prime. He would find that the commander he searched for was not there._

"_But Magnus." Optimus walked to his friend side taking him in with calculating optics. "She is your ship."_

"_She will serve you as well as she has me. Besides, discuss it with Prowl. He will say my plan has merit."_

"_I know Megatron will come after the new ship just as well as you do, that is why I should be the one on it."_

"_That would make the sneak attack that we could launch with _Artemis 1 _and the _Long Bow _pretty hard to accomplish wouldn't it? If you were already on the ship he was trying to blow up."_

"_Sneak attack?" Optimus blinked._

_Ultra Magnus cut him one of those rare devious smiles. "Yes, Optimus. Sneak attack."_

* * *

_"A_ _part of me still doesn't really think it's real." Hot Rod whispered through the vid screen on Ultra Magnus' desk. The red, blue, and white commander nodded solemnly from his place in his chair in his quiet, dark office where he was spending the night instead of in his cold, lonely, berth._

"_You saw him yourself, Roddy. He's real."_

_Hot Rod agreed. "He's really there I know that. I just don't know how! A sparkling? They're gone, Magnus . . . they're gone."_

"_One still remains." _

"_But how!?"_

"_I do not know." Magnus answered him truthfully as he recalled the little bundle of yellow metal and wires that had curled up into recharge in Optimus' hands. A part of his spark ached at the memory. It wondered what his would have looked like. Would it have been that small?_

_He forced the thoughts away._

_They only appeared because it was late and his processor was still trying to figure out what to do with this new information. _

"_He's kinda adorable." Hot Rot said with a small smile._

_Ultra Magnus snorted his agreement._

"_But this is just another target, Magnus." The other commander whispered. "Just another thing that when he finds he'll try to use against us."_

_Magnus turned his attention to his hands as he stared down with narrow optics. "You are right. This one will be different though. We will not lose this sparkling."_

* * *

"You . . . ." Magnus struggled for the words and he found himself gripping the table before him until the metal bent to his grasp. Optimus' hand on his shoulder tightened. "Who . . . ."

"I told you." Jolt forced his optics to hold the commanders. "I'm Jolt, and though we've never met . . . well . . . damn. Slag it all to Pit I'm just gonna come out and say it since we both already know it. I'm your son."

To his credit Ultra Magnus stood there for two whole klicks staring at the young mech in shocked silence before he full on glitched. When Optimus was forced to catch his suddenly limp friend his along with Prowl's and Roddy's optics were still locked on the bright blue mech and suddenly they knew what was so familiar about him.

Those optics.

They were Artemis'.

* * *

**Jolt should never be allowed to break news to anyone _ever_ again.**

**He's awful at it.**

**Anyway, **

**That was a dang lot of stuff wasn't it? Growth spurts, officers acting like adorable sparklings, blasts from the past, and strange encrypted messages from unknown sources. I wonder, what could possibly be coming next? **

**I've waited two whole parts to get to what happens and who joins the fun in the chapter six. Hope to see you guys there! **

**Chat with ya later!**

**-Jaycee**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers.**

**Just the plot and OCs.**

**Well hello again everyone! Are you ready for one of my favorite chapters so far?**

**I'll take this moment to once again thank everyone who gifted me with your wonderful reviews. You are awesome! I look forward to hearing what you have to say about this chapter.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 6

When Ratchet went right on blinking at the lab results before him Jolt finally just huffed out a breath and rolled his optics.

"I told you I wasn't making it up."

Magnus just stared at the test over the medic's shoulder.

It was a plain as the sun. The young mech wasn't lying. You couldn't change CNA.

Slowly the two mechs along with the other two commanders and Prowl turned to look at Jolt as he stood leaning against the medical berth not far from them with his electric blue optics narrowed and his doorwings arched up rigidly in tension. Ultra Magnus's sparked ached at the sight.

He was scared of them . . .of _him_.

Scared about what would happen now that he had come clean about what he was hiding. For the life of him Magnus couldn't figure out why. However, there was a lot that still needed to be said between them, a lot that Magnus needed to know right fraggin' now. Though it was not a conversation he was going to have in front of everybot. Taking a deep steady breath he glanced to Optimus who was still staring with wide optics at the bot across the room.

"We'll be back." He said.

"You have a lot to talk about." Optimus agreed.

"Do tell when you're finished." Hot Rod added with a chuckle that made his spark light and excited. Magnus ignored him though as he stepped forward and tilted his head toward the door as he gazed at Jolt.

"Come with me." With that he turned and walked out of the medical bay his audios on high waiting for the footsteps that he desperately needed to follow him.

They did.

For the life of him though Jolt had no idea why he was agreeing to go be in a room alone with this mech. Sire, Autobot, or not they were all probably going to kill him once they figured out what he knew that he'd kept secret.

He wasn't looking forward to that in the slightest.

He walked on a few steps behind him nonetheless as they navigated the halls of _Eternity _until they left the ship behind all together and walked through the linked tunnels onto Magnus' ship, the _Victory_. It was a short silent trip and before long Jolt found himself seated in a chair in front of the commander's desk. Upon which the larger mech sat.

And for a long few klicks they just stared at each other until Magnus found his nerve.

"I don't even know where to start." He admitted as he took in the young blue mech.

Jolt offered a tentative smile. "That's probably because you thought I was dead before I was even sparked right?"

Magnus nodded painfully.

"Yeah well . . . I'm not."

"That much I can see. I just do not understand _how_."

"The 'Cons didn't kill Carrier." Jolt lowered his optics. If he was going to tell he might as well start at the beginning. When he was finished he guessed he'd find out if he was gonna get put before a firing squad or not. "That night in the base. They took her hostage though they never ransomed her. Why, don't ask me, I don't know. She never really told me much about it. All I know is what I lived through and the small things she told me. She told me about you." He let his optics dance over his Sire's frame for a moment. "You're kinda just like she described. A little different from the picture I had in my head all these vorns, but you know youngling's imagination and all that."

Magnus nodded as he listened.

"Anyway, they didn't ransom her. They . . . sold her. To the Rings, or you know what is left of them."

Magnus went ridged. One for the fact that his mate and his sparking were sold to the rings and two because they all thought the Rings fell at the beginning of the war. How were they still up and running by the time that Artemis was killed . . . or taken as it seemed now?

"I was sparked there and . . . well you're a commander I bet you know what that place was like, and I'm sorry but I don't really want to talk about it all that much. All I can tell you is she lived until I was about twenty vorns old before they killed her."

Magnus's breath caught.

"She always talked about you though. She always said that you would come to save us. But you never did."

The commander felt like the ball of energy in his chest split in half.

"I spent most my life down there," Jolt tapped his knuckles over his spark to the armor that covered it. "I got the scars if you want the proof."

"I believe you." Magnus whispered. In all honesty he didn't want to see them. He didn't want to be forced to see the proof that his own youngling had grown up in those horrors.

"Yeah well . . . when the places started imploding on themselves for the first time I made my break for it. Been running ever since I guess you could say. I do well on my own . . . I'm a loner by nature. That doesn't mean I haven't seen my share of your war though. I've done quite a few things I'm not proud of to stay alive. In that Pit and in this broken dying world. Been fighting, killing, lying, cheating, and struggling to stay alive for a while now. I've . . . seen things I'll never talk about. That was how I survived though, until Hammerdown found me that is. I know it was wrong to not just come out and tell you bots up front who I was. It probably was wrong that I didn't come looking for you when I got out of the Rings, but . . . to tell you the truth I was afraid. I still am. I'm not really the regal son of the mighty Autobot Commander. I'm a thief and a liar . . . I'm a survivor. Because I refused to lay down and let it kill me like it killed her. I know you probably hate me for lying, for not telling the truth until you saw me and recognized her in me, but I mean what was I supposed to do? Walk up to you mechs and be like 'hey I'm Ultra Magnus' mechling that he thinks died before I was sparked nice to meet you!'. I would have been shot on sight, or they'd have hauled me in thinking I was glitched."

"Not when they recognized those optics they wouldn't have." Magnus countered.

Jolt shot him a look. "You would have called me a spy. A 'Con trap. You probably think I still am. Even with the CNA test."

Ultra Magnus narrowed his gaze. "I didn't need the test to know my sparkmate's optics when I see them. The test was to keep Prowl from glitching."

"Like you did?" Jolt tilted his head a smirk playing on his lips.

Magnus couldn't stop his own smirk. "Yes."

Silence followed a few klicks until Magnus sighed. "If I had known about you . . . if I had known she was still alive! Damn it all I felt them kill her! I felt her get ripped away!"

Jolt lowered his gaze. "They _almost _killed her. There is a difference. There are some very . . . _skilled _hands working for the 'Cons when it comes to medical actions. Hands that I bet even you mechs don't know about. In fact I know a lot you mechs don't know about. You learn a lot I guess when you live in a world where no bot knows you're alive. What you felt when she 'died' was her almost dying. A spark really can't tell the difference when it's in distress. All it knows is it can no longer feel the other spark that is supposed to be there. So the bond breaks by the sheer force of the other spark trying to cling to the one too weak to respond."

Ultra Magnus marveled at Jolt's words. He'd never heard anything like that.

Jolt recognized the look. "Like I said. There is a lot I know."

Magnus tilted his head to the side secretly loving the tone and the energy that burned in this mech. He was so much like her. The way he spoke, quiet yet purposeful, he might even be—Magnus realized—a lot like him as well.

"Seems we really do have a lot to talk about." He said.

Jolt tilted his head in return. "You mean you mechs aren't going to kill me for keeping secrets from the Autobots when I joined?"

"Ever mech has secrets." Magnus answered. "They are a right of war. I would have preferred to know of you up front yes, but that is a Sire's selfish desire. Personally I don't understand how you can want anything to do with me. I should have searched harder. I shouldn't have given up on her or you."

Jolt snorted. "You couldn't have known that she wasn't gone. And I wasn't even sparked. I don't blame you for not knowing, Ultra Magnus." He tried the name out loud for the first time rolling it over his tongue and finding that it wasn't as hard to say as he figured it might be. The mech before him seemed to enjoy the sound of it as well.

"Well you have my word. I'm making up for it now. We don't know each other yet and I don't expect you to accept me right of the bat as your Sire, but I hope one orn you might."

Jolt considered the words for a moment before a small smirk ghosted up his lips. "Quite possible."

* * *

"JOLT IS WHAT!?" Jazz yelled across the medical bay when he walked in.

The mechs across the room all looked up not at all surprised that Jazz had barged in and was now storming across the bay to them until he was standing before his fellow officers with a huff.

"Where's Bee?" Ironhide drilled him.

"With Bluestreak. He won't get over-energized." Jazz told him before cutting his optics to the bright blue mech who was leaning on the wall not far from Ultra Magnus. The mech that was his _SIRE_! "You were secretly Ultra Magnus' sparkling and you didn't fraggin' tell me!"

"Hey, that's what I said." Hot Rod snorted.

"Jazz," Prowl rolled his optics. "Not that we weren't going to call you down here any klick, but how did you already find out?"

"Hammer has a big mouth." Jazz rolled his optics in return. The whole ship knew by now. It was old information as of three klicks ago. Nothing _this _big stayed silent for long. It was just too much of a shock to all the mechs systems.

"Great . . . ." Jolt sighed. "I look forward to the interrogations."

"You will not be interrogated." Optimus assured him.

"Isn't that kind of what we're already doing?" Hot Rod lifted and optic ridge.

"Mute it, Roddy." Ratchet glared.

"Just saying." Roddy shrugged. "Besides you can't expect me not to tell my 'officers'." He put air quotes around the word.

"Mech," Jazz went right on looking at Jolt. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"For one I didn't think you'd believe me." Jolt admitted. He'd just spent the last five long joors of the night telling and retelling his whole life story, to his . . . sire . . . and then the other commanders, and then Prime's officers, and he really didn't feel like retelling it to the one that had missed it because he was with the youngling. In fact, all he really wanted was to go to berth and not come out for a good few orns. His processor hurt.

"Mech," Jazz shook his head. "I was with the patrol that found a sparkling in the middle of a battleground long after the Sectors fell. I've seen and heard stranger things. Though with that out of my system let me say this. Nice to actually meet you as who you really are."

Jolt couldn't help his smirk. He really did like the silver mech. He was optimistic and charismatic. "Yeah well . . . I'm still just me."

"Except you're really Magnus' mechling." Crosshairs pointed out as he leaned against a medical berth.

Jolt shrugged. "Yeah, but I don't know anything about these weird messages you're talking about."

"Well that makes the lot of us." Jazz sighed tiredly. "Though I was kinda hopping you might, in a good way, not in the you're-secretly-trying-to-kill-us-all way. You know. Because that would be bad. Since I like ya and if you were we'd have to kill ya."

The other mechs blinked at him for a long moment.

Finally Ratchet spoke up. "Were you drinking?"

Jazz cut him a glare looking offended. "I had _Bumblebee_!" He stressed the little youngling's name with a hiss. "No I wasn't drinking!"

"I think this has just been a very odd orn for all of us." Optimus spoke up taking in each present before he spoke again looking to Jolt. "I hope you don't mind that we still have quite a few questions for you. About the Rings and what you've seen of the Deceptions, but for now I think it's time for all of us to either get some recharge or go enjoy the festivities. They won't last past all the hangovers in the morning."

Jolt snorted. "I don't drink, but a berth does sound good right now."

Optimus nodded. "We will figure all the rest of this out in the morning."

"It almost is morning." Crosshairs told him.

"Then I have a youngling to find and get to berth." Ironhide nodded his goodbye to his fellow mechs before leaving the medical bay in search of his adopted son with his processor spinning so bad he hardly noticed that Optimus was walking beside him. He cast the Prime a glance though the towering mech's optics were dark and far away.

He waited for him to speak on his own as they walked to Bluestreak's berthroom. That was where both figured the sniper would have took the youngling knowing it was well past his berth-time.

"He was actually _afraid _to tell us." Optimus mumbled finally.

"He's been alone all his life. Do you really blame him?" Ironhide felt a little funny being the logical one about all this, but Optimus was very clearly bothered by something right now. "He's never met his Sire and then suddenly he's a part of his fraction that he's stayed away from all these vorns."

"Why did he join if he was afraid?"

"No mech can be alone forever, Optimus. Not even a loner. It's just not the way we were made to be. Cybertronians need others by nature."

"Why would he lie about who he was though?"

"He didn't lie. We weren't asking the right questions."

They walked in silence for a ways before Optimus smiled. "You know, right now, you sound like Prowl."

"I know . . . can we talk about something else so I don't?"

Optimus snorted at that. "I doubt that would get us anywhere."

"It's worth a shot."

Optimus came to a stop in the hall outside Bluestreak's door with Ironhide.

"Magnus thought Artemis was dead." The Prime breathed out. "He _felt _her dead. Yet she wasn't."

Ironhide looked at him carefully. "What are you getting at?"

"What if . . . ." Optimus trailed off unable to say what he truly wanted too. "Never mind. It's foolish. Let's get our youngling to berth."

Ironhide watched him for a few klicks before deciding that whatever it was that was bothering him would be brought up when he was ready for it too. Turning to the door the weapons specialist knocked. There was no response. After a moment longer Optimus keyed in an override into the panel lock on the wall and the door swished open. What the two mechs found on the other side made every dark thought of war and questions leave them as all they could do was smile.

Laying curled up a tight little yellow ball was their tiny mechling held safely in Bluestreak's arms as the young grey sniper lay snuggled in under his blankets deep in recharge on his berth with the little mech safely pressed against his spark. Bee's yellow fingers fit into the nooks in his grown mechs armor as his little head rest over where Blue's spark was his little body rising and falling steadily as Blue's chest moved with his breath. However, the sound of the door swishing open drew Bluestreak from recharge and his optics slowly flickered open blinking to become clear. He smiled at the sight of the two mechs in his doorway though he dared not move for fear of waking the recharging bundle on his chest.

"Evening mechs." He whispered.

"Sorry to wake you, Blue." Ironhide rumbled softly as he walked forward to the sniper's berth. "I was looking for my youngling."

"Safe and sound in recharge." Blue commented his bright optic dancing down to the tiny creature on his chest. "Want him back?"

"If you don't mind." Ironhide laughed lightly softly plucking his charge from Blue's chest letting the younger mech sit up as Hide brought Bumblebee to rest in the crook of his arm. Bee shifted a little at being moved and let out a tiny whine in his land of dreams, but when Ironhide's spark wrapped safely around his own he settled back down and slipped into oblivion once again.

Blue streached once he was sitting up and smiled up to the two taller mechs. "Is what I heard true?"

"About Jolt?" Optimus asked.

Blue nodded.

"Yes." Optimus answered.

Bluestreak grinned. "That's awesome! I don't really get why he didn't say anything before now, but it's still cool! Magnus has his son back. A son he never knew! Now they can know each other! Isn't that neat?"

"Yes, Blue." Optimus laughed though all of the humor wasn't truly in his voice. "We'll see you tomorrow."

"Night, mechs." He called after them softly when the two massive officers left his berthroom before he snuggled back down into his blankets and fell quickly back into recharge. Once Optimus locked the mech's door back into place he and Ironhide walked the halls heading toward Ironhide's own berthroom.

* * *

To put it simply, Bumblebee was confused.

Very, extremely, confused.

Seven whole orns of this crazy mess and not a single bot had bothered to explain to him what in the name of creation was going on!

He was a little putout about it too.

So far all he'd managed to put together was that Jolt—his new friend—was really Ultra Magnus'—one of his dearly loved family members—son. He had no idea how or why this was only brought up lately though. He figured that was something that should have been told to him a while ago, but it seemed that the whole entire ship had kind of seemed to forget about him as of late.

This was also a reason for the little mech's putout-ness.

All three crews together again and not a single mech could be bothered to keep him occupied or tell him what the slag was going on! What was he, invisible?

The little mech looked at his reflection in the window he was sitting in and saw himself blinking back.

Nope.

Still visible.

So that wasn't a legitimate excuse. His optics narrowed at his own image.

What had he down wrong this time that had the whole Autobot fraction buzzing around busily and not even bothering to look up to see more than if he was fed or not? Hide was busy, Optimus was busy, Prowl was busy, Ratchet was busy, pit even Jazz and the twins were busy.

They all kept running around in circles.

Words like; The Rings, and messages, and past, and 'Cons, and so much other stuff that Bee didn't understand floating around the air, he guessed it was clogging their processors to the obvious fact that he was being ignored.

He'd stopped itching two orns ago, and much to his disappointment he was pretty sure he didn't even grow more than an inch. However, ever since than not even Ratchet had looked up more than once or twice to check on him.

Three whole crews and not a single mech seemed to care that he was alone or that he _still _hadn't the slightest idea what was going on.

Because ever since they all got together again and it came to light that Jolt was Magnus' youngling nothing had been the same.

Something was wrong. Bee knew that much. He could feel it in the sparks around him and in the air. He wasn't sure if it had to do with Jolt or about these _messages _he kept hearing get talked about. And since no bot thought he was important enough to have it explained to him he was pit bent not to ask. If they wanted to ignore him then by Primus he was going to ignored them too.

His spark rolled over painfully in his chest.

So far it wasn't really working that well though. He just wanted to curl up next to Optimus' or Hide's spark and have them explain to him that nothing was wrong and that the ships were just excited about Jolt being here.

He knew that that wasn't it though and Optimus and Hide did little more than feed him and put him to berth lately.

They were _busy _with something.

The little mech folded his antennas down and glared at his image in the hard glass. Too _busy _for him!

Since when did that happen!?

Balling up his little hand he formed a fist and smacked it hard against the window before him. All that did though was make his hand sting painfully and make him squeak out. No bot was around to hear it though . . . or even to care.

With a sniffle he bit back his tears.

He was not going to cry! What was the point? No bot was going to make him feel better. Even Fire was too preoccupied to care.

All Bee could do was sit there in his window perch along one of the main halls of _Eternity _and pout as he stared out into the world before him. Because there was nothing else to do and no mech even bothered to realized he'd snuck off from a recharging Hound and Trailbreaker. They were both passed out cold on the rec room couches and he got tired of sitting there staring at their blank faceplates so he had picked his little self up and strolled out of the rec room without looking back and not a single stupid mech had even noticed!

He'd been out here sitting in a window for two joor AND NO MECH NOTICED!

"What frag goin' on?" Bee mumbled out loud, secretly hoping that the sound of him saying a word he wasn't supposed to say would bring every caretaker he had down upon him, but nothing happened. No bot rounded a corner calling out for him, no questioning pulses in his spark, nothing at all.

They were too_ busy_!

He glared at his reflection on the glass, that is until something occurred to him. Suddenly sitting up he pressed his little faceplate up against the glass and stared out at the wide open space before him. A small, devious little smile crawled up his lips.

Well, if they wanted to ignore him than fine. He'd see just how far he got before they figured out what ignoring him brought them.

He was going on a field trip, and that was that.

Giggling happily Bee clambered to his little feet and grinned at the latch to the glass a few inches above his head. Pushing himself up onto his tiny toes he stretched with everything he had, his little fingers wiggling and grasping, until he latched onto the small black twist knob and yanked for all he was worth. It took him a few nano-klicks but soon there was a satisfying 'pop' and the window lock came open.

Bumblebee grinned even wider.

And his caretakers thought he didn't pay attention to some of the stuff they did. He bet they didn't even know he knew how to open the windows of the ship. He smirked. Well he did. He'd seen them do it before and it wasn't nearly as hard as he figured it would be for his little hands.

Now that he had it open he just gave it a hard push and it shoved out into open air.

He clicked in excitement.

Holding tightly to the edge of the window Bumblebee poked his head out into open air and blinked.

Freedom!

The whole world right there before him. It never looked so big before. So wide and wonderful and full of stuff for him to do. Out there it wouldn't matter that he was being ignored.

His spark pulsed strangely in his chest making him pause for a moment.

Glancing back he bit his lip.

It would upset Hide and his family when they realized he was gone . . . wouldn't it?

A part of him wasn't so sure. He would never doubt they loved him, but . . . they were acting like he wasn't even important anymore. Too busy to do more than cast him a glance or hand him a cube of energon or put him in his berth and tell him to go to recharge.

His spark shivered at the thought that maybe they didn't want him around at the moment. Maybe he had done something wrong and they were ignoring him because he was in trouble.

He didn't know.

Stealing himself he turned his back to the hall and made a decision. He was going on an adventure and that was that. If they wanted him they could find him and if they didn't . . . well than maybe it was better to leave.

Slowly, carefully, Bee backed his way out the window holding onto the edge as he judged the distance to the solid ground below. He was on the first floor so really it was only about ten feet to the ground, but for one as small as him that was a long way down. So he did the only thing he could. He held tight to the metal of the ship and maneuvered himself so that when he let go hopefully he'd slide down the ship's outer wall and that would break some of his fall.

It worked—oddly enough—and in a screech of metal on metal he slide down the outside of the ship and plopped down not really so painfully to the ground. The action did draw a huff from his lungs as the air was knocked out of him slightly, but when he picked himself up and glanced all over him he didn't find anything broken.

He gave a happy little squeak. "Field trip!"

With that he hurried his little feet around the side of the ship and peaked out from the cover of the morning shadows. He had ended up on the outside of the ship circle and all the guard posts that were station had their backs to him for a moment. Bee watched them carefully though when he saw the familiar red form and golden form of the twins far on the other side of the ships. They were standing on the open ramp of one of the hangers staring out into the empty grey wilderness of metal and stone looking as if they were talking to each other.

Bee's spark gave another twist.

They would be mad when they figured out he was gone.

He narrowed his optics.

Well they should have been concerned with that when they ignored him for multiple orns straight.

Spinning the other way Bee put his back to his family and their ships and headed off into the towering fallen metal structures that were like something he'd never been close too before.

* * *

This really worked out better in his head.

Bee would admit it.

Started out as I good idea, but now . . . well he was tired, he was hungry, he had no idea where he was, and he was pretty sure that Ironhide was going to weld him to the wall when he found him because it was getting dark.

He couldn't bring himself to worry about it though. He just kept putting one little yellow foot down in front of the other. He really didn't think he could have gone that far. After all he was a tiny youngling who didn't reach most of his family's knees but in all actuality he really had walked a _long _way. More than the youngling would ever have thought he was capable of, but that was because he was following this weird pull that had started up in his spark.

It was something he'd never felt before. This weird tugging as if something was pulling him in the direction he kept walking.

Something was.

He was just too young to understand that.

His spark gave another twist in his chest and the little mech ducked under a crumbling stone wall as he kept on walking toward where the sun was disappearing over the horizon. Part of him wondered if he kept on walking toward it could he catch up and keep the light with him so he wouldn't be alone in the dark. He didn't really know, and the thought of being alone in the dark did kind of scare him, but somehow it didn't make him sit down and cry for his family. Instead he just kept following the pull.

It was like something inside him was pointing him the direction he needed to go. Maybe it was pointing him home. He wasn't sure. He didn't think it was, but at this point he really didn't know. He was just walking. Following. Watching the big open world around him fall into shadows. Picking up little things along his way, stones, bits of metal, broken pieces of glass. He had them all tucked into his crossed arms as he kept on walking among the grey wilderness.

He had no idea where he was going or what he was looking for, but something told him he'd know it when he found it.

* * *

Ironhide rubbed his hand down his faceplate tiredly as the code came back unbreakable once again.

"Still can't get it, Jazz?" He mumbled.

Jazz just punched the desk beside the keyboard in answer.

He couldn't figure it out! But he had to figure it out. They had to know where these messages were coming from and what they meant! Something weird was going on here and they had to know what it was!

"Well kept at it." Was all Ironhide could say to him. He was no good at coding. That was Jazz's forte not his. His forte was blasting things to slag. Which he hadn't been doing enough lately.

Jazz shook his head. "This slag is ancient. One I can't read it, and two I can't crack it. It's going to drive me glitchy! I swear to—"

"**Hound to Ironhide," **Suddenly the tracker's voice rang out over the private comm channel kept open between the most frequent of Bumblebee's caretakers. Ironhide tilted his head at the sound, but answered nonetheless.

"**What's up, Hound?"**

There was a pause before the normally laid back, nonchalant mech questioned a little worriedly. **"Did you come get Bumblebee?"**

Ironhide went ridged along with Jazz who set up straight in his office chair and stared at the big ebony mech whose gaze was narrowing.

"**No. I've been in a weapons test all orn with Crosshairs. You and your brother were supposed to be watching him. Why do you ask?"**

"**Because . . . well . . . you see—"**

"**Spit it out, Hound! Where is my youngling!?" **Ironhide snarled his cannons whirling to life.

Jazz stood from his chair.

"**We can't find him." **Trailbreaker answered and the panic that was rising in his voice was very audible over the comm. **"Been looking for a few breems and we just can't find him. Anywhere."**

"**WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T FIND HIM!?" **Ratchet screamed over the comm link just before the twins voices joined.

"**You've been looking for a few breems and you didn't say anything!?" **They snarled in unison.

"**He snuck off!" **Hound pleaded. **"Now we just can't figure out where he's hiding."**

"**You're the best tracker on the damn ship!" **Ironhide bellowed throwing the door to Jazz's office open and storming down the hall with the silver mech at his heels.

"**Ever mech calm down," **Jazz spoke up. **"He's around here somewhere. Probably just playing hide and seek again. We all look we'll find him."**

"**Jazz is right. Look for him. He's around here somewhere." **Optimus spoke up having heard the whole conversation, but something in the commander's tone held the worry that was coming to life inside all of them.

A few breems?

Bee never hide for more than _a _breem. He couldn't hold still any longer. Sooner or later he got bored and came out to hide somewhere else and some mech always spotted him. Only this time no mech had been looking, because they had all been busy trying to either crack this code, restock the ships from the storage tunnels that were under this outpost they were stationed at, or just being soldiers.

Every mech in the comm was suddenly thinking very quickly trying to remember the last place they'd seen Bee. Only there was a problem. They hadn't spent much time with the youngling over the last few orns. They had been working and Bee had been pasted around from caretaker to caretaker until Hide put him to berth.

The mechs' sparks desperately reached for the little ball of warm light they all knew so well.

Only this time he didn't answer.

* * *

Within another breem they tore the ship apart. Every bot did. The twins, Hide, Prowl, Jazz, Optimus, Ratchet, Jolt, Gears, Hound, Trailbreaker, Bluestreak, Blaster, Drift, Silverbolt, Inferno, Red Alert, Hot Rod, Ultra Magnus, Quickfire, First Aid, all of them. And when they came up with nothing on _Eternity_ they searched the other ships. But by the time the sun was setting over the horizon a sickening scene of dread crept in.

They couldn't find him.

Anywhere.

He . . . he wasn't _there_!

Ironhide threw an empty crate back over his shoulder before he slammed his fist into the wall of the hanger turning around franticly. There had to be somewhere! _Somewhere_ they hadn't looked yet! He was on one of these damn ships! He just _had _to be!

"Bumblebee!" The guardian yelled at the top of his vocal processor the sound echoing around the hanger that Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, and Jazz were currently in with him looking. "Bumblebee answer me!"

_Please! Answer me!_

"Bee!" Jazz's voice joined, but he didn't get anything either. "Lil' Bee this isn't funny anymore come out!"

"Half Pint come on! You're scaring us!" Sides called throwing a shelf off the wall and searching behind it. Nothing. His spark rolled painful in his chest.

Where _was_ he!?

With a snarl Ironhide left the hanger storming back down the halls of the ship.

"**Anything, Optimus?" **He asked over the comm while Jazz and the twins followed him.

"**Please say yes." **Jazz added quickly.

Optimus' sigh was not the answer they wanted. **"Nothing. Same for you?"**

"**I can't find him. I don't know where else to look!" **Ironhide growled desperately. **"He won't answer!"**

It was at that point both Ironhide and Optimus rounded the opposite corners of the same hall their dark blue optics narrowed and afraid as they walked to each other with the Twins and Jazz in toe with Hide, Ratchet and Prowl with Optimus. The rest of the crews were still looking frantically on all the ships but as the closest nit group of family and the closest to Bee came to stand before each other everything else kind of faded out.

"He won't answer." Hide's growl turned to a desperate sounding whine as his spark pulsed painfully in its chamber screaming to the bond it shared with the little mech, but the youngling either couldn't hear or refused to answer. Both were proving to drive Ironhide slightly mad.

"Why won't he fraggin' answer!?" Sunstreaker hissed staring at the Prime. "Where is he?"

"I don't kno—Jazz?" The Prime's response came to a rather abrupt end when he lifted an optic ridge to the silver saboteur who was suddenly staring behind him like he'd just seen a ghost. All optics turned to Jazz when he stood there frozen to his place beside Sideswipe his optics very clearly wide behind his visor as he stared.

"Jazz?" Sides shook him lightly and that seemed to snap the mech out of whatever world he was trapped, but it only managed to make Jazz squeak in fear before he bolted forward past Prime and the others and slide down the hall until he skidded to a stop in front of one of the porthole windows of the first floor.

An open porthole window.

He swallowed hard pushing himself up to lean out the window. What he found made a hissed curse leave him as he flung himself down the hallway heading out of the ship.

"No! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, please! No!"

"Jazz!" They called after him, but the silver mech didn't stop running until he flew out the main entrance of _Eternity_ and raced around the back of the ship until he found himself on the ground under the open window. He crouched down staring with wide optics as he glanced between the scrapes that ran down the outer wall under the window and the tiny foot prints under his hand. With his spark still in his chest he shoved the visor over his optics to rest on his forehead trying to make sure what he was seeing was real as he traced a finger over the imprints before looking toward the setting sun following their path.

He was really gone.

He . . . left.

Jazz felt the energon in his frame grow cold when his family caught up behind him.

"Jazz what the pit are you doing!?" Ratchet barked at him only to come up short when he saw the imprints in the ground beside his hand.

"Oh pit." Sideswipe whispered as Jazz rose a little shakily to his feet. He looked off into the sunset with his spark aching in his chest.

"He ran away." He choked on the words as they came out. "He . . . _ran away_."

* * *

Bumblebee giggled to himself as he climbed a small hill doing more slipping and sliding than actual climbing as the rocks and broken metal rolled under his footsteps, but it was kinda like a game of sorts and he was having fun scrambling up and then sliding back down. He wasn't the lease bit concerned that it was now pretty dark and that it was getting kind of cold. His spark wanted him to go this direction so this was the way he was going.

He didn't know why he needed to go this way, or what he was going to find once he found what it was tugging him toward nor did he understand this pull in his chest, but it wanted him to find something in this general direction. He had no idea what it meant either. All he knew was something was this way. Something he desperately needed to find.

So he followed.

The pulling was a lot like one of his bonds in a way. A connection of sorts that was demanding he come to it. Though it was like nothing he'd ever truly known before. He just didn't know what else to compare it too. It was powerful and mysterious and it made him walk a little faster than he normally could, ignoring his tired frame. He had to figure out what it was. He just had too.

By the time the sun fully vanished over the horizon Bee had managed to walk himself a good seven miles from his home. Quite a feat for a mechling that sometimes got tired before he got to the top of the stairs. He just didn't feel the fatigue though. It wasn't clicking in his processor that he was exhausted and hungry. He was too busy listening to the pull in his spark to have time for anything else. However, a few klicks after he found himself in complete darkness the truth of what was going on settled in on little Bee.

His antennas folded down to his head slowly as he blinked around him when all of a sudden the pulling came to an abrupt halt. As if his standing there and thinking about what was really going on seemed to just shut it off. Like rationality brought a wall up between him and the strangeness leaving him standing there confused and alone.

He squeaked at the change running his little fingers over the front of his chest in confusion.

Where did it go?

Curiously he called out with his spark asking where the strange feeling had gone, but he didn't get an answer of any kind.

He was alone . . . all alone.

* * *

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker practically flipped out of their alt modes landing on their feet as they scrambled up the hill to where Jazz and Ratchet stood. Well Ratchet was standing, Jazz was crouched down his headlights lighting the dark ground before him while his fingers ran over a tiny foot print.

"He went this way." Jazz said pushing himself upright, glaring off into the darkness around them. "He can't be much further."

"The temperature is dropping." Ratchet growled. "We have to find him soon."

"Little glitch!" Sunstreaker hissed in desperation. "What the pit is wrong with him!? Why did he do this?"

"Maybe because we were too busy to even notice that he was gone." Sideswipe whispered his dark blue optics scared and very cold.

He had a very painful point too.

None of them wanted to hear it though.

"When we find him I'm welding him to the wall." Sunny swore, but the pain in his spark was clear in his optics.

"We will find him, Sunstreaker." Ratchet told him steadily.

"Oh I know we'll find him." Sunny snarled. "It's what I'm going to do to him when we find him you should be worried about."

"First we have to find him." Jazz reminded. "Before he freezes, gets ate by something, stumbles into a 'Con, or does some other fraggin' thing."

With those dark words the saboteur fell into his alt mode and raced toward the west opening up a comm link as the others followed.

"**Prime?"**

"**Find the tracks?" **Optimus responded hopefully.

"**Yeah, I got 'em. I'm sending you our quadrants. Guess you mechs didn't have any luck?"**

"**None. We're coming your way."**

"**See ya in a klick."**

* * *

It was official.

He was cold . . . and quite possibly an idiot.

This field trip had run out of fun. He was cold, tired, and hungry. He was ready to go back home. Even if they were still going to ignore him that would be better than where he was now, curled up in a little ball under some fallen something with his arms wrapped tightly around himself as he stared off into the darkness.

He flinched at every foreign sound.

Every shifting shadow or creak of cooling metal. It was all strange and it was all scary.

He was very much ready to go home. Only Hide and Optimus weren't here. No bot was here.

He didn't even care anymore what trouble he was going to get into now. They could spank him, ground him, or lock him in a storage closet! He didn't care! He just wanted his family to find him. Because he didn't know the way home and the pull was gone.

Curling tighter in on himself he shifted backward into the wall thing behind him telling himself that it was all going to be okay.

They would come and get him. They would always come and get him.

It was his family after all, they would never leave him alone.

Right?

The little youngling snuggled in tighter around himself blinking out at the blackness that was making him shiver from more than just the cold. Right now, he wasn't sure of anything and the last thing he knew before his tired frame pulled him into recharge was that all he wanted in the whole entire universe was to wake up in Ironhide's arms. He promised whatever powers at be that he would never misbehave again if only he could wake up to familiar optics.

* * *

The deep rumbling growl wasn't unwarranted and quite frankly it hadn't really stopped since they figured out Bee was missing, besides at that point most of them were pretty sure Ironhide didn't even know he was snarling anymore.

Or that he was pacing.

And cursing.

And not really helping Jazz and Hound concentrate on making sense of the little labyrinth of youngling foot prints that went up, down, around, back, cross-ways, left, right, mid-ways, and every other ways around the little mounds of stones and metal.

"What was he doing?" Hound mused trying to figure out where the tracks headed now.

"Playing would be my guess." Jazz offered as he followed the slid trail back down the tiny hill and then onto another one. His radar was picking up nothing which meant either Bee wasn't close or his spark was too cold to be picked up. Neither option was making Jazz feel better. "He is a youngling."

"A youngling I'm going to murder!" Sunstreaker snarled not far off his foot tapping irritably on the ground.

"Sure ya are, Streaker." Hound rolled his optics.

A rock nailed the bulky green mech in the back of the audios.

"OWW! What the pit!?"

"Don't test me!" Sunstreaker hissed out dangerously taking a step toward the tracker before Sideswipe latched onto him and pulled him back a ways.

"Calm down, Sunny. It's okay. We'll find him."

"THIS IS YOUR FRAGGIN' FAULT IN THE FRIST PLACE!" The golden twin wasn't anywhere near done ragging at Hound though and didn't even seem to notice his brother hanging onto him like a bomb that was about to go off. Which in all honesty he was.

Hound flinched at the words lowering his optics to the ground. "We didn't mean to lose him. I thought he was recharging beside me."

"WELL HE WASN'T, WAS HE!? NO! HE RAN AWAY! DO YOU FRAGGIN' HEAR ME! HE SLAGGIN' RAN AWAY!"

"That isn't Hound's fault." Sides snapped trying to keep his panicking brother under control. Sunstreaker didn't handle panic well. Not in any shape or form, but he really didn't handle it well when it came to their Half Pint.

Sunstreaker shook Sideswipe off spinning around to nail him in a glare before he shoved him hard sending him staggering back a few steps.

"NO IT'S NOT IS IT!? IT'S _ALL OUR_ FAULTS!"

Sideswipe, who was more than a little close to frizzing himself, didn't take to kindly to his older brother's shove and suddenly his own dark optics went a shade darker as his hands curled into fist his blades itching to come out and slice into something. The same feeling he could feel swimming in his twin's spark. For a moment they glared dagger back and forth fueling the rage in each other since they had no way to combat it.

This was the type of anger they usually unleashed upon Decepticons. This was the fuel that got them through charging headlong into the fray without a second thought. It was this unbridled fury that they could conjure up and then put into action that made them as dangerous as they truly were, but it was also an anger that had never been brought to life toward themselves.

Now it was.

At this moment, they fragging hated themselves more than anything else in the universe. Because they had been stupid enough to not notice that they were too busy being soldiers to see that they weren't being the brothers they swore they were going to be. They hadn't noticed that for a good many orns every bot in the ranks had kind of forgotten to look up and check on Bee. They had been too worried with strange text messages and restocking from the hidden mines before the 'Cons caught onto them.

And they hated themselves for that.

They hated everybot for that right now honestly, but mostly themselves.

Suddenly both mechs were yanked from the all out murder match they were about to start when Ratchet stepped in between, grabbed both by a shoulder, and pulled them in very close with a very real threat in his optics.

"If you both don't mute it this very klick I swear to Primus I'm going to smack you with each other and leave you here to rust. We'll find Bumblebee without you." He never raised his voice, but the words were eerie calm and pointed making both twins somber up fast.

They blinked at him owlishly for a few nano-klicks before they mumbled together. "Yes, Ratchet."

He snorted in return shoving them apart still watching them carefully for any sign that they were going back to almost trying to offline each other. When they stood quietly with their heads bowed he gave a silent approving nod before turning back to the rest of the patrol. Ironhide was still pacing not even seeming to realize that the twins had been yelling. Ratchet didn't blame him. This was hitting him hard. He was currently very obviously running the last few orns over and over again on repeat in his processor trying to figure out every detail of how he could have been foolish enough to make the youngling think they were too busy for him.

Which . . . they pretty much had been.

But runaway?

The thought made Ratchet shudder.

He had run away. From them? He actually left. _Them_.

The CMO kept trying to tell himself over and over again that he didn't mean it like they were seeing it. He was just bored, and a bored Bumblebee was most times a dangerous Bumblebee. He tended to get his little self in all kinds of trouble. So sneaking off to go exploring, Ratchet could see how that would amuse the youngling who thought the whole Autobot fraction had forgotten he was even alive.

They hadn't.

They never could.

It was just . . . things piled up so fast. Jolt was Magnus' mechling. The messages were coming more frequent and not Jazz, Blaster, Wheeljack, or Perceptor could figure them out. Then there was the fact that their whole fraction was kind of sitting out in the open above their hidden mines restocking the ship. They were sitting targets if Megatron decided he wanted to stop nursing his pride and play war again.

They had just been distracted.

Something Optimus swore as he stared out over the dark, destroyed, wilderness he was never going to be again.

He had been _ignoring _his might-as-well-be son. A part of him couldn't really fathom that idea. It didn't want too.

Because he would find Bumblebee and when he found him he make the little mechling understand that they hadn't been purposely ignoring him and he vowed to not let the youngling touch the ground for a least a Decacycle. He was going to be held none stop.

Damn Ratchet and his 'you're slowing his development by not letting him walk'. They were six miles from the damn ship! He walked just fine!

"Got it." Hound's words drew everybot. Hide, Optimus, Ratchet, Jazz, the twins, and Wheeljack who could not be convinced to stay back at the ship. Hurrying too him Jazz looked over the tracks and nodded.

"Still going west, no fraggin' idea why, but he is."

"Most likely following the sun." Hound offered. "It was getting dark. He'd head toward where it wasn't _as_ dark."

"Makes since." Jazz nodded.

"Let's just find him before he freezes." Hide grumbled brokenly. "Then we can question if he's glitched or not."

* * *

One thing.

There was only _one thing_ in the whole wide universe Bumblebee had asked for! To wake up to familiar optics.

_That_ was not familiar optics!

Roused from his recharge by a heavy breathing type sound Bumblebee blinked open his own bright baby blue optics to come faceplate to very large blinking red optic. He squeaked in fright tumbling backward into his little hole until he slammed into the back of it leaving him nowhere to run or hide. All he could do was curl up in a tight ball and stare at the blinking red orb as one thought swam around in his processor.

_This not good._

The red optic blinked at him for a moment as he blinked back in complete fright until a rather loud bang sounded and he flinched only to watch in terror as a deep snarl came from whatever owed that red optic and it yanked back with a growl.

"Why you stupid Slag hit me Grimlock!?" The beast from the entrance of the hole rumbled as Bee blinked at the voice. It sounded downright terrifying, like gravel rolling around in blender. It was harsh, deep, raspy, and underused. On top of that it didn't speak very well—kinda like him in fact—only that giant optic in no way belonged to any kind of youngling. That belonged to a full grown mech. A full grown mech that didn't talk like a grown bot? Bee leaned forward a little listening closer.

"Grimlock not fair!" Another deep raspy voice only this one sounded a little more airy.

"Swoop right! Grimlock not let other Dinobots see!" Echoing like thunder as if it came from a beast twice the size of anything he'd ever seen. "We want see!"

"Want is there that so interesting!?" A snarled rasp that sounded like it hardly ever was true words.

"Other Dinobots want see!" A hissed out threat just as deep as the others but it made Bee tremble a little. Five different voices he'd never heard before. All of which were like nothing he'd ever known. They didn't talk like full grown mechs, but they rumbled the very ground he was curled up on. They must be huge!

Before he even really knew he was doing it the little mech crawled to the entrance of his little hole and was about to stick his head out and look when the ground under him slipped and with a scared squeak he rolled out of his hideaway landing with a thump against something very hard and very big.

His world rolled around his dizzy processor for a moment from all the tumbling he'd just done until he found himself laying on his back with his little feet stuck up in the air propped between massive clawed toes. His short arms were sprawled out over his head in his half slumped upside down state and his big optics blinked up in utter bewilderment at the towering form that he found himself crashed into the foot of.

For a moment all Bee could do was stare at the grayish-black scale like armor with hints of red and yellow splashed in here and there not to mention the jagged red spikes that looked like—compared to the rest of him—little daggers that started at the base of the massive head and ran all the way down his spine to fade out about halfway down his gigantic swishing tail. However, one quick sweep of the massive beast who he was now laying upside down in-between the toes of and Bee found himself blinking in wonder at the massive muzzle that was thrust his way suddenly only inches away as air began to be whooshed over him as this mech drank in his sent while Bee blinked at the action. After a moment the rushing air stopped and the massive beast's head was titled slightly so the huge glowing fire red optic to the right of its head—even this things optics were bigger than Bee—could zero in on the tiny youngling who lay there in frozen curiosity and slight fear as the beast blinked back at him.

He was aware of movement all around him.

It had to be the other four things, but honestly Bee was scared to take his attention off the red orb that held such power, ferocity, and mystery. Its owner was absolutely terrifying and yet for the life of him Bumblebee couldn't make himself be _truly_ afraid of it. He was scared, but in his spark something was telling him that this beast would not hurt him.

For a moment longer the two blinked at each other before the head tilted again and it spoke flashing dagger like teeth that were three times the size of Bee.

"Me Grimlock. Why you Itty Bitty so itty bitty?" The beast rumbled slightly shifting his foot that Bee lay halfway slid up against between two of his toes. The movement didn't hurt Bumblebee it just kinda pushed him up slightly until the momentum shifted and he found himself somehow sitting on top of one of the giant toes.

Still all he could do was stare up in awe at the massive mech that shifted his head again to gaze down at him.

_Grimlock? _

Bee kept right on staring as he rolled the name around in his processor. It sounded as equally terrifying as the beast who's toe he now sat on, but for the life of him Bee found no reason inside of him to be afraid. He . . . liked the name.

Very slowly a small grin spread its way up Bee's lips as the monster mech still crouched over his own foot his huge body angled in an odd way that couldn't really be comfortable as his long tail swished back and forth behind him in almost amusement it seemed.

Grimlock.

It was strange, just as much as its owner, but Bumblebee was not afraid of it. His spark somehow assured him that nothing about this monster or the other ones Bee was still a little hesitant to look at but could feel shifting around him was a danger to him. So just like with every name Bumblebee liked he looked up smiling into that massive right red orb that was twisted to gaze down at him and he gave his name back.

"Me Bumblebee." He almost clicked the sound but couldn't make himself care as a slow animalistic type grin worked its way up the monster mech's lips as he smiled in return and Bumblebee was no longer even the slightest bit afraid.

* * *

**Oh Grimlock, you over grown puppy dog. You've found your knew best friend.**

**It makes me so happy! I love the Dinobots and I've been waiting since we started this thing to get to this point! **

**Ratchet and Ironhide are going to blow a gasket. Bumblebee runs off to find adventure and instead he finds the Dinobots. What are the odds of that? He really is just a trouble magnet. Though we all love him for it don't we?**

**Anyway, have you noticed that stuff might actually be starting to happen? Yeah . . . six chapters in and we're still no where near the actual _action _I guess you would call it. I hope you guys are still enjoying it though. A lot has to be laid out before I can get to where this part of the series is going.**

**So hang in there. Maybe the adorable trouble that is little baby Bumblebee is keeping you entertained. I know it is me. We're getting there. Just bear with me. When you figure out what I've got planned . . . hee-hee I hope you're going to enjoy it.**

**There is a very high chance, since it is now spring break *happy dance anyone?*, that chapter 7 will be out before next weekend. It depends on how much writing I get done. If I finish the chapter I'm working on now before then I'll post 7 and then you will also get chapter 8 next Saturday probably. Just depends on how much I get done though. **

**And I'm just saying, seeing all the wonderful reviews motivates me to get my butt in gear and finish chapters. So no pressure or anything, but chapter 7 is also one of my favorites. Just saying. If you love the Dinobots you're gonna want to see it. **

**So once again, hope you liked it and please review and tell me what you think! **

**Chat with ya later!**

**-Jay**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. Blah, blah, blah.**

**Wow! You guys are awesome! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! So many wonderful reviews! You totally deserve this chapter. **

**I hope some of your questions are answered in this chapter. A few were probably curious if the Dinobots know the Autobots and all that . . . well go forth and find out.**

* * *

Chapter 7

"So itty bitty." Bumblebee giggled loudly as a clawed finger poked at him. The smallest of the mechs that now stood in bi-pedal form around him was the one that had looked like the big bird type thing.

Bee liked him.

His name was Swoop, he was funny and nice, and had the weirdest voice. It was like an angry wind almost, but the mech was kind as he bounced Bee up and down in his hands his burning red optics that Bee found more beautiful than scary watching him carefully. The mech was red and grey and he had the weirdest looking wings on his back that twitched and bounced with is emotions.

Bee really wanted to play with them, but since none of these 'Dinobots' would stop bouncing him he really hadn't had a chance yet.

"Why him so itty bitty?" Swoop mumbled around his grin as he bounced the giggling little yellow thing.

"Most other bots small, but me Sludge never see bot small that much before." The tallest of the mechs, the one even bigger than Grimlock himself, was Sludge. He was the one that had been that towering brute of a creature with a really long neck and a really long tail who's voice sounded like thunder that shook the ground. He was silly.

Bee liked him too.

His deep red optics were innocent and playful and he kept snatching him away from Swoop and tumbling him around in his hands making a slide of sorts down his red, grey, black, and yellow armor.

"Small and weak." That was Slag. He and Snarl hadn't really said much beside that since Bee had come out of his hiding place.

They weren't mean, Bee liked them as well, they just didn't seem to know what to make of him. Slag was the one with the crowned head and three pointed spikes in his other form and Snarl was the one with the line of dagger like spikes all the way down him. Now that they were in their bi-pedal forms they still had the same colors; red, black, and yellow and their red optics were very dark and guarded but Bee liked them all the same. They weren't cruel. They were just kind of careful of him for some reason.

"Dinobots hate small and weak. 'Member Grimlock?" Snarl lifted an optic ridge at the king of their crew.

The massive blackish-grey mech highlighted here and there with red and yellow glared behind his dark red visor at his fellow mechs. His battle mask was pulled up firmly in place to hide every emotion behind a wall of gruff indifference as was the purpose of his visor. He was an emotionless, weakness-less king of the most powerful group of mechs that _ever _lived.

He was the King of the Dinobots.

He was greater than even that soft sparked Prime. He took orders from no mech and he would destroy that puny tyrant all on his own one orn. He did not tolerate weakness, small was pointless and powerless, anything less than might he had no use for and yet this little bundle of yellow that had rolled out onto his foot threw all that to the wind. He stood there quietly watching Swoop and Sludge play with the giggling mess as they all stood in the cold darkness of morning trying to figure out what to do next.

Or at least Grimlock was.

Swoop and Sludge cared nothing other than finding a way to keep the little thing laughing and Snarl and Slag were only concerned with putting him back where they found him and getting out of here. They had 'Cons to kill. Such was their purpose in life. They had no use for the tiny thing that they didn't even know what was.

Grimlock's optics narrowed behind his visor.

Stepping forward he snatched the little thing from Swoop and brought the giggling game to an end.

Bee went very still in the palm of a mech whose powerful spark and frame rivaled that of all his family. Optimus and Hide were the strongest mechs he knew. They could best anything and yet as Bee blinked up at that dark visor and emotionless battle mask he found himself thinking that this mighty mech might give them a run for their credits. His very aura screamed power and the knowledge of it. He was King of the Dinobots as Bumblebee had been told—he had no idea what that meant but that was what he had been told—and something about him demanded a level of respect Bee had only seen given to the commanders and officers of his family.

He didn't know much about this mech, but all the same his mysterious might called to Bee's curiosity. He wanted to know this spark, just like the other four. Right now though he figured his best bet would be to sit still and see what Grimlock wanted of him.

Tilting his head to the side the Dinobot lifted Bee in his hand until they were almost optic to optic than rumbled behind his mask.

"What is Itty Bitty?" He questioned.

Bee stared.

What was he? What kinda question was that?

"Me Bee."

Behind the visor his optics rolled. "Me Grimlock know that Itty Bitty. Me want know what Itty Bitty _is_. Why so small?"

Oh.

"Me youngling." Bee shrugged.

Swoop and Sludge bounced forward to lean around Grimlock and stare at the youngling while Snarl and Slag stepped forward a little curious as well.

Youngling?

There were no more younglings.

That wimp of a tyrant had offlined them all. Wheeljack had told them so. Prime had let it happen. That was the reason the Dinobots left the Autobots. Because that weak Prime hadn't stopped the slaughter of all those innocent lives.

The Dinobot crew might not like small weak little things that cannot defend themselves. They found them annoying after all the vorns they had spent trying to protect those foolish Autobots and then were punished for the ways they dealt with 'Cons. Younglings and Sparklings were different though. It was an instinct inside every bot—even the Dinobots—to protect them. Even Grimlock had it hardwired in him. He, the brutal king without remorse or mercy, the king that challenged Prime for his stupidity and weakness, even he had the programming.

"No more younglings left." Snarl growled out lowly as he glared at the little bundle of yellow through the darkness that was staring to fade into morning.

"Dinobots were there. Sectors fell." Slag snorted his optics narrow and angry. "Prime not save them."

Bee perked up at the mention of Optimus—or what he thought was the mention of Optimus—but he didn't have time to speak up.

"Just like old Prime." Sludge murmured sadly. "Not stop bad stuff from happening."

Grimlock snarled. "To weak to stop it."

Bee's antennas folded down.

"You not youngling, Itty Bitty. Not lie to Dinobots. Me Grimlock was there. All them gone. Forever."

"Well me not." Bee crossed his arms with a huff as he glared up into the dark visor without the slightest bit of fear. "And me Youngling."

Grimlock narrowed his gaze in return.

For a moment the pair of them glared at each other until Grimlock tilted his head thinking it over. The Itty Bitty looked like a youngling. He was tinier than any normal mech and he spoke like they did, which was like a youngling, which might mean that he actually was one. But then how was that possible? They were all gone. Because of Prime.

"If Itty Bitty is youngling where Itty Bitty come from?" Grimlock questioned.

To that Bee's gaze lowered slightly. "Don't know."

The Dinobots stalled at that.

"Itty Bitty not know where Itty Bitty from?" Swoop asked softly his own spark tensing in pain at the words.

Bee shook his head. "Don't know where me from."

It wasn't the first time Bumblebee had been asked the question. However he still didn't have an answer. Megatron had asked him once where it was he came from but he didn't know then anymore than he did now. He honestly didn't remember. Except what he saw in his dreams which most of the time didn't make any since to him he didn't know anything but a few cloudy faceplates and voices. All he knew for sure started from when Hide had found him.

"We Dinobots not know either." Sludge whispered his head bowed sadly, but Bee's attention shot up at the words.

These massive mechs didn't know where they were from either?

"Really?"

Grimlock grunted in reply as he suddenly brought Bee up and dropped him on his shoulder. Bumblebee scrambled for a hold on the jagged armor and soon found himself wrapped around Grimlock's thick neck with his little legs and arms holding tightly to the softer metal there as Grimlock started forward.

"What we doing?" Bee asked in the large audio above him.

Grimlock grumbled. "Itty Bitty can't be by Itty Bitty's self. Itty Bitty come with Dinobots."

"Really!?" Swoop and Sludge cheered.

"Really?" Slag and Snarl huffed.

"Itty Bitty might be last youngling. If is we Dinobots will protect."

"But Itty Bitty is . . . _itty bitty_." Slag pointed out following after his leader along with the other Dinobots.

Grimlock shrugged.

"Dinobots hunting 'Cons. Can't hunt 'Cons with tiny weak thing." Snarl growled.

"Not weak!" Bee snapped.

Grimlock spun around and pinned the two less agreeable mechs of his crew in a glare that made even _their_ armor crawl. With the tiny mechling clutching tightly to his neck the powerful king somehow looked even more threatening than he normally did and it didn't take but a few nano-klicks of that glare to have both Slag and Snarl bowing their heads and nodding as Grimlock snarled.

"Me Grimlock say Itty Bitty come with Dinobots. So Itty Bitty is gonna come with Dinobots. You Slag or you Snarl think that Dinobots not strong enough to fight 'Cons and keep Itty Bitty safe?"

They shook their heads while Sludge and Swoop silently celebrate behind their leader's back and Bee clutched to Grimlock's neck watching with interest.

"Then mute it!" Grimlock bellowed.

"Yes, Grimlock."

Spinning on his heals Grimlock marched off toward the rising sun with Bee giggling against his neck. Mumbling softly so only Grimlock could hear Bee whispered.

"We gonna be friends?" He asked poking gently with his spark to the mysterious might that was the massive mech's life source.

Grimlock couldn't stop his chuckle as he gave a spark pulse in return to the little mechling's strange poking and words.

"Itty Bitty safe with Dinobots." Grimlock told him quietly. "Me Grimlock promise."

He didn't really know why he felt the overwhelming need to keep the strange little thing safe, but Grimlock was nothing if not a mech that trusted his spark and his instincts. Both were telling him to bring the little thing along for one reason or another and that was just what he would do. Besides it was proving to make both Swoop and Sludge pretty happy so why not roll with it a while? They all had a lot in common with the Itty Bitty if it really was true he had no idea where it was he came from.

Grimlock intended to learn more about him and how it was his spark was curiously poking at his own.

* * *

Bumblebee was having a ball.

That much was obvious.

For all of the outward appearances of Grimlock being a sparkless warrior he really wasn't. Somehow, against all odds, he along with the rest of his crew even Slag and Snarl fell head over heels for the tiny mechling that was giggling in Grimlock's audios as they marched on through the gathering morning. The mighty mech still wasn't all that sure what it was about the tiny creature that had him acting so out of the ordinary to anything but his own brothers though. He wasn't yet fully convinced of what he was because quite honestly Grimlock had never seen a youngling or a sparkling in all his life. He didn't know what they should or shouldn't be like. However, he did know something.

He liked this little Itty Bitty as he and his brothers had taken to calling him and he intended to keep him safe until they knew what to do with him.

"Grimy?"

The other four Dinobots snickered not so very quietly as Grimlock shot them a sneer behind his mask before he answered too what Itty Bitty was calling him. The little mech was having a real hard time getting the King's real name out so Grimlock was okay with the shortened version. Though when Snarl had tried to say it he punched the mech between the optics.

_No _other creature would _ever _call him that.

Itty Bitty could.

No bot else.

He grumbled a growl to answer the little mech.

"Is we gonna go home?"

Grimlock tilted his head so that he could almost see the mechling who leaned around to hold his gaze through the dark visor. "Home?"

"Yeah. You take me home?"

Grimlock paused to take the little mechling from around his neck and let him rest in his massive palm in a safe perch of curled claws as he held him up near his chest and stared down at him while the other Dinobots gathered around.

"You Itty Bitty said not know where home is." Sludge pointed out.

Bee shook his head. "No didn't."

"Yes did." Slag snorted.

"Said don't know where from. I has home though." Bee told them. "With Hide."

Grimlock tilted his head. _Hide? _

Why did that sound familiar?

"BUMBLEBEE!" The panicked gasp drew every one of the Dinobots' and the youngling's attention to the crest of a hill before them to where the startled, tried, very honestly panicking blue optics of Ironhide, Optimus, Ratchet, Wheeljack, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Jazz, and Hound stood.

Bumblebee perked up, his little antennas flicking.

"Hide!" He squeaked happily before a low growl built up in Grimlock's and his other new friends chest and the claws around him tightened while suddenly Bee found himself pressed tightly to the King of the Dinobots chest.

The Prime.

Grimlock tightened his fingers until Itty Bitty was hidden from view as he drew the massive red energon sword from behind his back slicing it through the air while his fellow Dinobots drew their own weapons when Ironhide's optics narrowed into slits.

The powerful beast bot leveled his sword with empty air as Ironhide lifted his cannons.

"GIVE ME BACK MY FRAGGIN' YOUNGLING YOU GLITCHED FOOL!" He bellowed.

Grimlock growled.

He was no fool, and no mech called him one.

"Don't call me Grimlock stupid." He warned his own optic narrowed into slits behind his visor and his scowl hidden by his battle mask though the slit gaze never left the towering form of the Prime, the only mech that had ever come close to him in height besides Sludge yet was still smaller than him. It was just another form of proof that the Prime was weaker than him and didn't deserve to tell him what he should and shouldn't do. His fellow Dinobots snarled alongside him agreeing with the notion in his spark that they could feel as much as he could feel their own.

They would squish the puny Autobots for thinking they were fools, for letting the Sectors fall, and to protect Itty Bitty.

Cannons, as Grimlock had always referred to him as, said 'youngling' he said 'his youngling'.

Grimlock didn't believe him.

The tiny thing was _their _Itty Bitty. They found him and they would protect him.

Suddenly though the one mech among all the Autobots that Grimlock and his crew didn't despise with everything inside them—there was one other they didn't _really _hate, but he didn't like them so they offered him no kindness in return—thrust himself between the glaring Prime and his puny soldiers and the growling beast mechs.

Wheeljack.

All five of the Dinobots faltered slightly.

They couldn't hurt Wheeljack.

"Everybot just slow down for a nano-klick!" Jacky pleaded his hands held out in both directions that he stood sideways too.

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker snarled.

"Move Jacky!"

Swoop hissed, leveling his rocket launcher with the pair.

No mech threatened Jacky, not while they were there.

"Calm down!" Wheeljack shot both the twins and Swoop a glare before he desperately stared at Ratchet and Optimus.

Ratchet was glaring through narrowed optics at the 'creations' he and Wheeljack had pieced back together all those vorns ago. The soldiers ordered by a dying council. The should-be fossils they found in the Sea of Rust. The mechs out of their time.

The Dinobots.

The over grown foolish brats that thought they were too good to take orders from the Prime. Or at least the mechs who blindly followed their leader who thought he was too good to follow the Prime.

He just hardened his gaze at Wheeljack shaking his head.

Jack had been protecting these idiots too long anyways. Pleading that they weren't as dangerous and stupid as they seemed. Ratchet still remembered the Decacycle Wheeljack had locked himself in his lab after the Dinobots left. He remembered how much it broke his best friend to have the five mechs walk out on him. To leave and never come back. The CMO had no plans of letting Jacky get hurt like that again by the fools he considered his younglings. Especially now that Bumblebee was trapped in that big brute's claws.

Optimus Prime though, his stance was different.

He was no fool. He knew how much Grimlock utterly hated him. How much he _blamed_ him . . . for more than Optimus thought he'd ever truly know. This time though he was not about to go ordering Grimlock to do anything. It never worked all that well in the past and now his youngling was trapped in those lethal claws. He had no idea how or why Bumblebee was there, but he had no plans of watching him get crushed this morning.

So he lifted a hand waving Ironhide, the twins, and the snarling Jazz back. The mechs looked at him like he'd lost his processor. Even Hound who was sizing up the five mechs he'd only ever heard stories about. Just like the twins. Optimus wondered if they even knew who they were looking at.

Probably not.

All they knew was that the biggest one had their adopted little brother and that they were going to get him back.

When Optimus cut his optics too them he opened a comm link.

"**Easy, all of you."**

"**Easy!?" **Sunstreaker hissed audibly though his words were silent. **"He has Bumblebee!"**

"**And unless you want him to get crushed you should be **_**still**_**." **Optimus growled lowly in response.

"**Optimus," **Ironhide's cannons were still glowing hot and whirling with energy. **"Either get my son out of Grimlock's hand right _now_ or I will."**

"**Just let me talk to them." **Wheeljack pleaded from where he stood still in-between the two parties. **"Grimlock won't hurt him!"**

"**Won't hurt him!?" **Jazz hissed. **"He's **_**Grimlock**_**! Remember, Jacky? GRIMLOCK! He tried to kill Optimus!"**

"**He was upset!" **Wheeljack defended. **"He just doesn't understand!"**

"**None of them are your younglings, Jack." **Ratchet reminded the inventor testily. However, the glare that almost burned into his armor from the mech kind of hurt his spark.

"**You helped fix them too." **Wheeljack mumbled darkly. **"You helped me haul them back from the brink of death when that patrol found them out there in that desert. You helped me teach them. You know as well as I do they aren't sparkless killers! They're just trying to fit in where they don't think they belong!"**

"**They don't belong!" **Ratchet snarled. **"They are mindless soldiers that should be put in front of a firing squad! Grimlock tried to kill Optimus! **_**Remember**_**! And then they ran away! They are dangerous, they are violent, they kill because they don't know how to do anything else, they are—"**

"_Just like your twins." _Wheeljack's pained whisper sliced into Ratchet's spark via the bond of best friends they hadn't really even touched in a long time and the agony that rolled with those words along with the blow to the spark that they really were made Ratchet actually stumble back a few steps until Optimus reached out and steadied him all the mechs besides Wheeljack looking at him confused as to why he had ended his tirade and what Jack might have said since they all knew that he did.

"**Ratchet?" **Optimus breathed.

The CMO blinked at him for a moment before he looked to the golden mech and the red mech that stood with their blades drawn and their dark, battle ready, optics slightly worried now as they glanced between him and the mech that had their little brother. Ratchet's spark felt like it was going to snap in two as he looked them over before turning his gaze back to Wheeljack who watched him with a look that screamed that he was right, and that he knew it.

Because he was.

He _was_ right.

The twins were equally as violent and dangerous, they had been built and taught to kill since they were stolen in the dead of night and thrust into a life of slavery. They truly knew nothing other than war, pain, and death. They were what they were because they didn't know how to be anything else.

They were in many ways just like the Dinobots.

Oh pit . . . .

He'd done it.

He'd done just what Wheeljack did! He'd mentally adopted something that he should have let pass him by because he was trying to help fix them.

And he didn't regret a single decision of it . . . just like a part of him he refused to acknowledge felt the same way about those glitched, pour, annoying, lost sparks that were the Dinobots. The mechs that _they _brought back to this world to serve them as soldiers because the council wanted it.

The mechs they never even asked what it was that _they _wanted out of life.

They had made them slaves. Tools to use to their will.

They were . . . just like the Rings.

"**Get him to give him back in two klicks or take it up with Ironhide." **Ratchet turned his gaze away unable to say more. So much was going to have to be said later no matter what happened next though.

"**What!?" **Hide, Jazz, the twins, and Hound barked.

"**Really?" **Wheeljack didn't think it was going to be that easy.

"**Do it now, Wheeljack." **Ratchet growled. **"Before I just whack him over the audios with something."**

The inventor looked to Optimus.

The Prime nodded watching the _King _of the Dinobots closely as he kept his fist that held Bumblebee tightly to his chest with his sword between him and them.

Almost like he was protecting him.

But why in the universe would Grimlock do that?

Grimlock hated anything that he viewed as weaker than him. Including all of the Autobots. Well all of them but Wheeljack. At least that was how it had been the last time they'd seen the powerful mech. A lot could have changed.

Turning slowly Wheeljack let his bright blue optics meet the dark red visor that hid his might-as-well-be oldest son's optics from him. The other four mechs watched him closely only Swoop and Sludge showing the slightest emotion toward him.

Wary curiosity.

Wheeljack's optics darted to the curled fist at Grimlock's spark where Bumblebee was currently held and gulped before he lifted his optics back to the mighty beast mech he'd put back together from scrap.

"Hey mechs." He started softly taking a few steps forward noting that none of the weapons drawn didn't whirl or glow with anymore animosity, but they didn't lower either. Even Swoop didn't lower his rocket blaster. Those bright red optics just narrowed slightly at the tri colored mech and Wheeljack stopped knowing it was better to not push his luck. He knew for fact none of the Dinobots would ever hurt him, but the tiny yellow trouble maker they had in their grip might be another story.

Grimlock grunted to the greeting while none of his brothers made a sound otherwise.

Though the King did tilt his head ever so slightly.

What did Wheeljack want? Why after all this time was he still standing between Grim and the Prime? Why was he still trying to make the Dinobots take orders from _them_?

"It's . . . uh . . . been a while." Wheeljack started again weighing his words carefully. Ironhide and the twins along with Jazz growled behind him. "What you been up too?"

"**Really? This is how we're going to do this?" **Jazz lifted an optics ridge.

"**You're the smooth talker! You got any ideas?"** Wheeljack snapped.

"**Uh . . . they hate me. I think. So no."**

"**Then mute it." **Jacky growled.

"Dinobots kill 'Cons." Swoop almost chirped.

"What else Dinobots supposed to do?" Snarl huffed.

"Haven't seen you around." Wheeljack honestly shrugged. After all this time he had been curious as to where the five of them disappeared too.

"Dinobots big but not stupid." Sludge grumbled.

"Can hide when want too." Slag mumbled.

"Been chasing strange mechs." Swoop added swaying on his feet slightly his wings twitching and flicking.

And Wheeljack was about to ask him what that meant when Grimlock snapped.

"Stop treating Dinobots like foolish glitches." He sliced his blade through the open air between them and then leveled the pointed tip with Wheeljack's throat even if they were a good twenty feet apart. The inventor still felt the heat coming off that glowing red blade. "What Wheeljack want with Dinobots? Left, just like all Autobots wanted us Dinobots too. Now leave Dinobots alone!"

"Give me back my youngling." Ironhide growled low in his chest making the giant mech turn his focus to him for a moment. "Then you can do whatever the slag you want! Jump into a smelting pit for all I care!"

Grimlock snarled his blade pulsing even hotter until a slight thumping against his claws drew his attention. He blinked in surprise before turning his attention to what felt like tiny fists pounding into his tightened fingers.

A mumbled yell made its way through the thick metal of his curled digits but the mechs around heard it anyway.

"Grimy! GRIMY! Let me out!"

_Itty Bitty?_

Completely ignoring the stupid bots that thought they were a threat to him Grimlock parted his claws ever so slightly tilting his head toward the small creature that was sitting in palm still punching his thumb with a rather putout look on his lips.

"Stop that." Grimlock grumbled darkly the sound echoing like thunder in his thick chest the words bringing Bee's little fist to a halt but it also only made that putout glare turn full force to Grimlock's visor. The mighty beast mech actually shuddered the slightest bit under his armor. That look was cold as ice. What had he done to deserve that?

"Then let me see!" Bee snapped.

"Itty Bitty safer here." Grimlock shook his head about to close his claws again when Wheeljack's voice stopped him.

"Bumblebee?"

The tiny yellow thing spun around in Grimlock's hand and grinned widely at the tri colored mech and the ones behind him.

"Hi, Jacky." He beamed.

Grimlock tilted his head.

Itty Bitty knew Wheeljack?

Interesting.

Uncurling his claws so that the tiny thing sat very plainly in view yet was still behind the glowing sword Grimlock hoisted him up and glared at Wheeljack. "Itty Bitty know him Wheeljack?"

Bee turned back and blinked at Grimlock and the other Dinobots in surprise.

"Grimy knows Jacky?"

"_Grimy_?" Wheeljack tried to stop his laughter though it only really worked when Grimlock shot him a glare that could melt Ironhide's armor.

"Yeah!" Swoop grinned. "We Dinobots know him Wheeljack. Long time ago."

"Cool!" Bee bounced a little in Grimlock's palm before turning back to set his baby blue optics on Optimus and Hide who watched him carefully. He could see the tension in their frames and the worry in their optics and a part of him wondered how much trouble he was in for leaving, but really that fear paled in comparison to how happy he was to see them.

They did come looking for him.

Maybe he hadn't done anything wrong to make them mad. Maybe they weren't too busy for him to be around. Maybe they would be happy with the new friends he had made.

"Hi Hide. Hi Optimus."

"Bee," Ironhide's tone was stressed and it made Bee's spark sink a little. He didn't like the idea that he had caused that tone. "Bee, come here."

Grimlock's claws tightened instinctively once again making Bee squeak.

"We found Itty Bitty! Itty Bitty not going anywhere!"

"Like pit he isn't!" Sideswipe hissed. "He's our youngling, now give him back, whoever the slag you are!"

Grimlock's optics narrowed even more the words making his spark roll in anger. He was fully ready to slice the glitch's spark out when Itty Bitty's huff stopped him.

"Stop fighting!" Bee hollered drawing everything to a halt. Grimlock's claws uncurled again and every weapon the Dinobots had lowered. Bumblebee pouted up to Grimlock than pointed toward the Autobots. "Told you had home. That my family. That Hide! That Optimus! Stop being mean to each other!"

Grimlock snorted before all four other Dinobots took at least four quick steps back from their leader and the little thing in his hand all of them leaning away a little more the necessary. Each blinked in surprise mixed with a slight bit of fear while Grimlock's gaze went from the widened shocked at the little mech's words to a rather dark glare that made his dark visor gleam with dark purpose, but Bee didn't back down, not one inch.

Sometimes it was plainly obvious that Bumblebee really didn't have any concept of how tiny he truly was compared to everything else around him.

The lowered blade in Grimlock's free hand glowed back to bright hot life as his anger filtered through his weapon before he snarled down at Itty Bitty.

"Belong to Prime?" He hissed through his battle mask the words confusing Bee but all he could do was watch as the powerful mech's optics lifted behind his visor and cut into Optimus who tensed at the glare. For a moment the two massively powerful mechs glared each other down, sizing each other up, before Optimus shifted his glare to Wheeljack who was looking back and forth trying to figure out how to stop this from becoming an energon bath.

Optimus decided now was his best chance.

"Yes Grimlock he is ours. Mine."

The claws that held Bee twitched but didn't form a cage again.

"Don't believe you Prime." Grimlock glared.

"Why not?" Bee chirped. What was so confusing about that? He was his families. He was. Though something about all this wasn't adding up to his young processor. He was getting the feeling that his family and his new friends might not really like each other all that much. Why, he didn't know, because he liked them. So what could possibility be bad about them?

Slag rolled his optics. "Cuz Autobots said youngling and Autobots already let all the younglings die."

The Autobots recoiled a little at the words.

Bee tilted his head confused. "Huh?"

Hide's spark stilled a little in his chest as panic set in again. Bee was far too young to find out about the Sectors.

"Grimlock!" Wheeljack's snap stopped the words from rolling out of the Dinobots and they all lifted their gazes to the one mech that wasn't a part of their brotherhood that they trusted with everything inside them. Even if he was an Autobot.

Grimlock titled his head as a signal for the inventor to go on with whatever it was he had to say as the powerful mech's claws twitched around Bee.

"Please, just give Bee back."

The King of the Dinobots snorted. "No."

"Yeah!" Sludge crossed his thick arms. "Dinobots find him Itty Bitty all alone. If Itty Bitty really Autobots' why was all alone then?"

"Because he ran away." Jazz mumbled brokenly.

Bee's antennas folded down at the words and he frowned. "No didn't. Just went on a field trip."

For a moment his family blinked at him as he looked back and then very stiffly and slowly each one of them turned with glares that made the deepest circle of the Pit look like a bubble bath to the forms of the twins who were suddenly finding the ground very interesting.

"_Field Trip_!?" Ratchet all but snarled as he glared at the pair of frontliners.

They gulped.

"Wonder where in Primus he got _that _idea!?"

"Umm . . . ." Sideswipe bowed his head even lower as he and Sunstreaker cowered ever so slightly under the Medic of Doom's gaze.

"Haven't the slightest?" Sunstreaker offered.

Ironhide joined the intensity of Ratchet's glare before he grumbled out darkly. "I'm going to kill you both for this."

"No!" Bee jumped to his feet in Grimlock's palm only to sway with the effort and grasp onto the massive mech's thumb. His tanks rumbled in protest and all of a sudden the little yellow youngling realized just how hungry he was. Grimlock steadied him with a surprisingly gentle touch that Optimus and the others didn't miss. "Not their fault. I just bored. No bot . . . ." He paused. "Noticed me."

The familiar sparks that were bonded to him pulsed at the words reaching for him desperately trying to assure him that they hadn't meant to make him feel that way, but the moment was shattered when Sludge plucked him from Grimlock's palm—by an arm leaving the little mech to squeak half from pain and half form shock, he wasn't really meant to be picked up my just one arm, it pulled things—and though his slight protest sounded very much like he didn't want to be plucked up by his wrist Sludge held him before his optics.

He wiggled in protest while Ironhide had to be physically held back by Optimus _and _Ratchet when his youngling was dangling thirty something feet off the ground by underdeveloped plating and wires.

"So Itty Bitty really _is _last youngling?" Sludge murmured sounding like he really didn't believe it. Which he probably didn't since all the Dinobots were still not all that sure they weren't being lied too. The last they had known all the youth of this planet had been snuffed out yet here was one. One that belonged to Prime. One that Prime lost.

As far as Grimlock was concerned that meant the Itty Bitty was better off with the Dinobots.

"Yes!" Wheeljack's startled voice shocked the massive mechs though as his bright blue optics locked on the little yellow thing wiggling in the air squeaking as Sludge held him by his wrist. "And he is _very _breakable! Put him down!"

Quicker than any bot might have thought the massive mech could move Grimlock snatched the tiny mech from his brother with a snarl that had Sludge cowering slightly with his head bowed. Safely back in Grimlock's claws Bee rubbed at his arm, the wires were stretched and pulled more than they should be from all his weight on one arm, but he really wasn't hurt. It just hadn't felt all that good. He was not a toy and he did not appreciate being handled like a rag doll!

Hence the pout sitting heavy on his lips that was now being glared darkly at the towering Dinobot who was doing his best to hide behind Swoop who kind of looked like he'd rather be anywhere than between Grimlock and the bot that had managed to piss him off now.

Self preservation and all that.

Needless to say he stepped out of the way leaving Sludge standing there with his head bowed and a very angry Grimlock staring daggers into his soul.

"Idiot." Was all Grimlock muttered making Sludge twitch but keep his head lowered as Grimlock turned back to Wheeljack and the other Autobots before glancing down to the still pouting thing in his hand. Bee's pouted ended when he felt Grimlock's optics on him and he lifted his gaze back to the powerful mech that held him once again and he offered a small smile.

Grimlock's spark pulsed longingly for the warmth and joy that seemed to just bubble from the tiny youngling.

He'd made up his mind.

And Wheeljack could see it.

Those deep red optics flashed behind the visor as Grimlock held the Prime's gaze over Wheeljack's head.

"Prime lost all younglings once. Me Grimlock not lose last one. Dinobots protect Itty Bitty now. If have to beat you Prime again to prove it. So be it."

Optimus stalled for a moment his processor whirling back to the night seven orns after the last Sector fell when Grimlock had came crashing into an officers meeting and drove that wicked blade of his through the Prime's chest before anybot had time to blink. He'd missed Optimus' spark by two inches and after his sword was buried deep he'd proceeded to try and take the mech apart piece by piece. . Not even Ironhide and Ultra Magnus could stop the raging mech. Only Wheeljack had been able to end the powerful mechs temper tantrum.

All this time the Autobots just thought the pretty much resurrected solider had just finally snapped. He'd never liked taking orders and he'd never liked any of the Autobots. He viewed them as lesser than him because he thought they were weaker. Now though with those words said so calmly and ruthlessly to him everything somehow just fell into place.

It made since.

At least Optimus thought it did.

Could it be that Grimlock hadn't snapped? That he hadn't been trying to overthrow Prime? Could it be that he just blamed Optimus for letting all the younglings die?

That . . . he thought it was Optimus' fault.

The mighty Prime almost staggered at the notion.

Because in a way it was.

"Me Grimlock not as stupid as you Autobots think me is. We Dinobots know was nothing but cannon falter to you. Dinobots know that we was just science experiments. Soldiers for order. Out of our time. Dinobots not like you, but we never asked to be like you. Never asked to be saved. Me Grimlock can't remember anything from before him Wheeljack and him Ratchet fixed us. None of Dinobots can. All Dinobots know is war and you Prime's orders. Orders Prime never asked if Dinobots _wanted _to follow."

"We Dinobots not mindless soldiers." Swoop's gaze lowered sadly and Wheeljack thought his spark might crack in half.

"Not stupid." Slag hissed.

"Just not like you Autobots." Snarl grumbled.

"You Prime try being woken up and told that you is part of a war you bot can't even remember. You Prime try being haunted by images that don't make any sense. You Prime try being told that you as a free mech not have freedom. That have to fight some other bots war for them because they too _weak _to do it for self. You Prime try being no better than a slave." Grimlock growled darkly.

"We Dinobots not mindless weapons." Sludge whispered. "Not stupid. Just different. And not our bots fault. Dinobots not ask to be saved. Dinobots not ask to be here. Dinobots not ask to not remember."

"Dinobots followed you Prime's orders. Dinobots fought the battles you Prime couldn't win. Dinobots did everything Dinobots were told to do, still seen as stupid though. Just cuz Dinobots different. Well me Grimlock through being called stupid. Know more about many things than Prime does, because me Grimlock not afraid to face it. You Prime's fault the Sectors are gone. You Prime not strong enough to save them. Because you Prime won't kill your brother him Megatron. Leave Grimlock and Dinobots to take his cannon fire time and time again. Well me Grimlock made me point once. Prime let Sectors fall. Prime's fault younglings and sparklings gone. Dinobots gone with them. Dinobots no longer serve you. We no longer your mindless weapons. Dinobots are mechs. Whether Autobots believe it or not, and Dinobots found Itty Bitty when you Prime once again lost something. Well we Dinobots will protect Itty Bitty. If him Itty Bitty really is last youngling than him must be protected." Grimlock growled.

"Cybertron nothing without younglings." Snarl snorted.

"And you Prime's and him Megatron's battle for which brother get thrown is pointless." Slag added.

"It already pointless." Swoop mumbled even quieter. "What we bots fighting for now anyway? Look 'round. There nothing left. We Dinobots kept fighting 'Cons after left because 'Cons the ones that attacked the Sectors. But also because we know nothing else than fight 'Cons, but really what point? Nothing left now."

"'Cept him Itty Bitty." Sludge put in nodding toward Bee who sat there quietly in Grimlock's hand listening.

"Itty Bitty give us Dinobots something to fight for again." Swoop smiled down at the little mechling who grinned in return. "Since Dinobots know nothing but being weapons have to have something to fight for. Dinobots not lose that twice."

Grimlock's claws tightened around Bee again but they didn't hide him fully from view. "If you Prime want to change that than you Prime find out me Grimlock more than match for you. Again."

"Grimlock," Wheeljack pleaded. "The Sectors falling wasn't Optimus fault. Megatron attacked them! No mech even knew what was happening until it was too late! You can't blame him for that. Primus! Is that why you attacked him? Is that why you mechs left?"

Grimlock just glared. "Him Wheeljack not like other Autobots. Him not treat us like stupid fools. But him Wheeljack being a stupid fool if think me Grimlock believe that Prime not at fault."

"But it's not his—" Wheeljack was cut off when Optimus walked forward. The red and blue commander walked past his chief inventor and left the tri colored mech standing there looking like he was afraid they were going to kill each other. Which they might actually end up doing. However, when the Prime stopped a few feet in front of the mighty beast mech the two powerful bots held gazes while Bee glanced back and forth.

"No Wheeljack." Optimus said softly his spark hurting with the knowledge that it was true. "Grimlock is right. In a way it was my fault."

"Optimus," Ratchet warned.

"No it isn't." Ironhide huffed.

"You know that." Jazz added.

"All of this is Megatron's fault for starting but at the same time it is mine as well." Optimus ignored his friends letting his optics hold Grimlock's. "It's our sibling squabble that has destroyed a planet and possibly doomed a race. You're right Grimlock. There isn't much left we have to fight for, besides just the principle of it all. Which is a questionable thing to keep throwing lives away for. It was getting to where I believed that not long ago. When I wasn't sure what I was fighting for anymore. I don't think that anymore though. Because you're also right about Bumblebee. He's proof that there is hope that our stupidity has not doomed our own race."

Grimlock grunted in response.

Optimus lowered his gaze. "And your also right about the way we—I—treated you. You are right about all of it and I'm sorry it's taken me this long to see it."

"See what?" Snarl growled. "That you Prime the real stupid one?"

"Yes."

That answer actually shocked the Dinobots into silence for a moment and the gathered mechs stared at each other until Bee rolled his optics. He had no idea what was going on and to be honest he didn't care. He was hungry and all he wanted was to go back home.

Lifting his little hand in the air he waved it back and forth over his head. As he hoped every optic around him settled in on him and he grinned between Optimus and Grimy.

"Optimus?" He pushed himself up again thankful then Grimlock's thumb moved to help steady his wobbly feet. "Can go home now?"

Grimlock's claws tightened.

Bee turned to glance over his shoulder up to the dark red visor at the action offering a smile. He then looked back to Optimus.

"Dinobots come too? Want 'em to come."

Optimus couldn't stop the warm smile that danced up his faceplate at his younglings words. How could Bee, no matter the situation, always manage to defuse it just by speaking up, by looking up, by simply smiling? How was it that he just bubbled with so much happiness it was almost impossible to be upset around him? How did he have the battle made, ruthless, curt, and gentleness lacking king of the Dinobots carefully tending to him in his hand?

"They may come if they wish it." Optimus answered.

Wheeljack beamed, the Dinobots tilted their heads, Ratchet sighed, Ironhide growled, Jazz was mentally planning how they were going to break this to Prowl, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were still trying to figure out what was going on, and Hound was just standing there quietly unsure what to do with himself.

Bee was radiating happiness like a full blown supernova though.

"Really?"

"If they want too."

"Dinobots not be you Prime's tools again!" Grimlock snarled.

"You are free to do as you please, Grimlock." Optimus turned his back to the powerful mech. "We're going home. If you wish you come along be my guest. Wheeljack has missed you. I'd also much appreciate it if you hand Bumblebee over to Ratchet or Ironhide. He needs to be looked over."

For a moment they all blinked as Optimus walked away before a happy squeal of delight came not from Bee as expected but from Swoop and Sludge as the two mechs—one the largest of the Dinobots and the other the smallest—raced forward throwing their hands in the air their bright optics glittering with joy before crashing into Wheeljack with a frame crushing hug.

"WHEELJACK!" They cried out happily while Sludge swung the tri-colored mech around and Swoop hung on for the ride.

* * *

**Oh I just want to hug them and never let them go! I love the Dinobots. They are adorable. **

**Add little Bumblebee to that and dang. Why did it have to take me so long to get to them!?**

**Oh well, there here now. **

**Anyway, what did you think? I'm dying to know. I love this chapter _so_ much, so I hope you enjoyed it too. So let me know! Please :)**

**I'm planning on chapter 8 being up either tomorrow or Saturday. I finished the chapter I was working on, but I really want to be a little bit further ahead than what I am right now. It should be up though. **

**Chapter 8 is kind of hilarious if I do say so myself. Here's a hint for you guys. Jazz was _really, really, really _right to be worried about how they were going to break this to Prowl. Hee-hee. I enjoy torturing that bot to much.**

**On a side note, **

**Remember a while ago when I put in that little note about working on a story about one of my OCs and the twins? **

**Weeeeellllll, I'm kinda working on it again. It's completely changed from what I had before but I like the direction this one might be going now. Some stories just come to you and others you got to work with a while before they become what you want. Hopefully this one is finally getting its wings. Because I want to write her story. _SO __BAD_!**

**We'll see what happens, I guess.**

**See you guys either tomorrow night or Saturday! I look forward to seeing what you thought!**

**Chat with ya later! **

**-Jaycee**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers.**

**But the plot and OCs are mine.**

**So no touchy.**

**Hey, everybody! Umm . . . well . . . its been a while hasn't it? Yeah . . . sorry about the couple of weeks skip. Life happened, you know? And really you can blame chapter 11. It has been driving me insane!**

**But on the bright side it has magically started flowing again so here is chapter 8 for you. **

**I enjoyed this chapter, hope you will too. **

* * *

Chapter 8

"YOU DID WHAT!?" Jazz would swear to his dying orn that Prowl's screech could be heard all the way to the moons and back when the Autobot patrol returned with the Dinobots in tow.

He would also swear that his audios were going to need repairing after this mission impossible was done.

"Now cool off a nano-klick, Prowler." Jazz pleaded wary of the SIC as he tossed his precious data pads across his office. From his position crouched in fright behind the office chair he wasn't really in any danger of getting smacked in the faceplate—again—by a flying something, but unfortunately Prime was.

"THEY TRIED TO KILL YOU! OR HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN THAT LITTLE DETAIL OF THE LAST TIME THEY WERE A PART OF THIS CREW!" Prowl raged. He actually raged. The last time Jazz or Prime had seen him this upset was when he went after Blue on New Vorns Eve.

Jazz made a quick mental note to tell the youngster to keep his distance for a little while.

Prowl was gonna be in a mood for a few orns.

That much was obvious and expected.

"Prowl!" Optimus shouted smacking away the keyboard that got chunked at his head. "Prowl listen to me for a klick!"

"YOU LET THEM NEAR BUMBLEBEE!? HOW COULD YOU BE SO STUPID!? WHEELJACK HAS AN EXCUSE! HE'S BREATHED IN WAY TO MANY CHEMICALS OVER THE VORNS, BUT YOU LOT! YOU MUST BE FRAGGIN' GLITCHED!"

And now he was cussing.

Jazz hunkered down a little lower behind his hideaway as a computer screen went flying over him.

Yeah . . . this was not going well.

"Prowler! Let the damn mech speak!" Jazz yelled as Optimus ducked behind the chair with him. A comical sight considering Prime's bulk, but at the moment Jazz wasn't in the mood to laugh as Prowl went right on raging.

Rolling his optics behind his visor Jazz tuned him out and opened a comm link.

"**Told you he wasn't going to take this well."**

"**Yes, thank you for reminding me." **Optimus grumbled sarcastically as a jar of stylus bounced off his shoulders.

"**Look on the bright side. Sooner or later he's going to run out of things to throw at us." **

"**It's orns like these that even _I_ question which one of us is running this army."**

"**Of give him a break. They made his life miserable for a long time. They never listened to reason, or orders, or did as they were told, or could be kept in the brig, and had a really bad habit of playing with Wheeljack's chemicals because they were pretty colors and setting the ship on fire."**

"**That only happened like four times." **Optimus offered.

"**And all those times somehow good old Prowler managed to get caught on fire." **The silver saboteur reminded, a hint of his smile returning. He had to give the Dinobots that. For all the trouble they had caused they had been entertaining when they were in a good mood.

Nightmares for Prowl, but entertaining for the rest of the crew.

Secretly Jazz was kind of glad they were back. He had never thought they were as stupid as most of the others did. He knew they just thought along a different line than the normal bots. Not to mention he'd seen the way that Wheeljack cared for them. It had hurt the inventor greatly when they did what they did and left.

And it was kind of spark warming to have watched the way Wheeljack lit up when Swoop and Sludge crashed into him. Not to mention the way he had been grinning when the five of them trialed after him without complaint to his lab when they returned to the ship and Prowl had freaked. There was still much that had to be figured out now that they were here though.

Would they stay?

Would they become Autobots again?

Why in Primus' name did they keep calling Bee Itty Bitty?

How in all creation did Lil' Bee mange to find them?

And above all, the whole issue of the young one leaving in the first place had to be addressed, but that was probably why the officers had split up. Jazz and Optimus took on the raging mess that was Prowl—now the silver mech was kind of wondering why he opted for this gig—while Ratchet and Wheeljack took on the issues regarding the Dinobots, and Ironhide locked himself up in his and Bee's room and quite obviously was not coming out again until he was sure himself that his youngling was back and he figured out a way to make the little mech understand they hadn't meant to make it seem like they forgot him and that he could _never _run off like that again.

Jazz had thought his spark was going to stop all those breems they couldn't find him.

He'd been torn from their grip once. None of them were ever going to let it happen again.

Though the saboteur was smacked back to the here and now when Prowl's novel data pads started smacking him and Prime in the head.

His bright blue optics narrowed.

Enough was enough.

Shooting out of his hiding place Jazz sprang over the SIC's desk and landed lightly in front of him grasping hold of his wrist mid throw of a cube of energon and met him optic to optic finding the worry and the anger flicking in his gaze.

The yelling and the throwing came to an end as Jazz sighed and released his hand letting him deflate before him and sink onto the desk top his doorwings drooped and his optics down cast. Only then did Optimus rise from his hiding place and walk over to lean against the desk next to his friend as Jazz did the same.

For a long few klicks the trio was silent, a million thoughts rolling around in their processors before Prowl spoke.

"Sorry I snapped." He sighed. "Again."

"Hey at least this time you didn't glitch." Jazz beamed turning on his optimistic attitude. "I mean just think. The _Dinobots_. They came back. How does that play into that logic of yours Prowler? Because I'm still spinning in disbelief. Who would have ever thought they would come back? Or that they would find Bee? Or that they wouldn't squish him as soon as look at him? How does that logically make since?"

The silver mech cut himself off though when he noticed Prowl's optics twitching.

"You know what. Never mind. I didn't say any of that." Jazz grinned. "You've been stressed lately and the snapping is just due to all that's going on. It's not your fault."

"Sometimes I think I ask far too much of you Prowl. Just as my Sire did." Optimus mumbled darkly.

That got Jazz to hush up pretty fast and Prowl to glance his way.

"You ask no more than I can handle." Prowl assured him.

Optimus didn't look convinced.

"Optimus," Prowl breathed. "We are currently clinging to life in the middle of a war that is destroying us as much as it is the planet. There is too much being asked out of everybot. Even Bumblebee. We ask him to not act like a youngling his age, even if we don't mean too. It's true we do. We ask too much out of Wheeljack and his ability to keep making things that will combat with Soundwave and Shockwave's toys. We ask Ratchet to repair more than any of us can hope that he can. We ask Ironhide to be far harsher and thicker and more battle ready than any mech can ever be. We ask Jazz to pull off the impossible again and again in his opt missions. We ask me to keep all of us on track and not become a black burn smear on the stones. But above all we ask too much of you. You are our Prime, who we look up to and adore, but that position was thrust upon you and it came with a heavy price."

The price of his brother and his Sire, but the SIC didn't add that part. It floated heavy enough in the air as it was.

"This is war. It is not glamorous or magnificent. Nor are we heroes or champions. We are simply mechs doing what is right, and we do it over and over again. No matter the cost. Because in the end it is the difference between right and wrong that compels us, and where we stand when the line is drawn that matters."

Jazz grinned. "Leave it to Prowl to go all deep on us after he just chunked his whole office at our heads."

Prowl and Optimus dissolved into laughter at that despite the tension, the kind of laughter that clears the spark and heals the soul. They needed it, and Jazz was very good at being able to provide it. It was one of the many talents the silver bot prided himself with.

For a moment longer the mechs chuckled together before Jazz looked to his commander.

"Besides, this is not about Prowl. Not really. You are fully aware he is capable of what is asked of him and that he would not have it any other way. Nor would any of us. We are what we are and we are good at what we do. Pit I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I wasn't constantly thinking up ways to make Shockwave's life miserable and how I can piss off Soundwave as of late. This is really about what Grimlock said you."

The powerful two-tone mech let out a tired sigh. "Yes . . . it is."

"And what is it that Grimlock said?" Prowl questioned.

Optimus took a breath and then began to retail all that had been said this morning in the argument over Bumblebee.

* * *

"You know," Ratchet grumbled to the tri-tone inventor that was almost vibrating with happiness beside the CMO as the Dinobots explored his lab. "You can't keep them in here, Wheeljack. They are going to light the ship on fire and Prowl really is going to wig out."

"I'll clean out the east hanger and set it up for them. Nothing is down there but my stuff anyway and its big enough to give them plenty of room to be. They'll like it."

"**You don't know if they are going to stay." **Ratchet reminded him.

Jack shot him a glare. **"Bumblebee means something to them. They came because he asked. Not because Optimus offered. They will stay. I know they will . . . I want them too."**

"**Grimlock attacked our Prime." **The medic kept his gaze on him.

"**You've damaged the Prime quite gravely once or twice if I remember correctly." **The inventor offered a shrug.

Ratchet growled. **"Watch it, Jack."**

"**Let's see . . . there was the time he got his right arm blown off by Astrotrain and you proceeded to beat him with it for letting it happen. Oh and there was that orn that Thundercracker got in that lucky shot to his chest and almost hit his spark. Damn I will never forget how you fixed him and then chased him around the medical bay with a buzz saw! You had to fix everything you broke!"**

"**Wheeljack," **Ratchet glared.

"**Oh yes! What about that orn that Megatron caught him not looking when he was trying to help Roddy and the old bastard knocked him into stasis for a Decacycle with a shot to the head? When you finally got him patched back together and booted up again you proceeded to dent almost every inch of him with a wrench. Do you remember all those times, Ratch? Because I remember. I'm pretty sure you've mangled him worse than Grimlock ever did for all the things you've deemed foolish over the vorns—" **

"**ENOUGH!" **The CMO's words cut Wheeljack off, but the giddy inventor did not lose his smile. He simply shrugged and went back to watching Swoop and Sludge mess around with the phase shifter project on his desk while Snarl and Slag pretended they weren't interested in anything and Grimlock leaned against the far wall watching them all with that blank calculation that Wheeljack had come to know quite well over the vorns.

Grimlock wasn't as dense as most mechs thought.

Quite the opposite actually.

The leader of the Dinobots was actually very smart; he just didn't think along the same patterns that the rest of the Autobots did. Granted though he was from a different time. A time that Wheeljack and Ratchet had pulled him from and tossed him into this one when they found the five of them near death in that dark cave and brought them back to the ship piecing them back together.

Through it all though Wheeljack had never doubted the mechs he viewed as his creations. When they awoke with no memory, no past, and no answers to how beings like them were still functional after all this time he knew they needed somebot to look after them. Somebot to care for them and too teach them, because they were truly all alone, and that had been Wheeljack.

He thought once or twice in the beginning of it all that Ratchet might want to help him. Help him teach them right from wrong and make sure they were alright, but he had been wrong. Ratchet wanted nothing to do with them.

Nothing at all.

Wheeljack understood. It had not been many vorns before than that Ratchet had lost Arcee. His friend had still been grieving quite badly and Wheeljack did understand . . . it still hurt him though. It hurt him every time Ratchet yelled at the Dinobots for getting themselves hurt, or for breaking things, or for not listening, or for just being the confused lost sparks that they were. It hurt him every time he turned his back to them when Swoop was curious of his work in the medical bay. It hurt him ever time Ironhide bellowed for them to get out ever time Snarl, Slag, and Sludge had wondered about weapons to him. It hurt him every time Prowl all but glitched if they so much as lifted a finger out of line because they were—in his book and quite honestly—unpredictable and volatile. It hurt him every time Optimus ordered then to the front lines and expected them to do the work of a dozen mechs simply because they were big and beasts.

It hurt him that no mech among his friends and family seemed to even look up once to notice that they were not happy.

The Autobots were a family. They always had been, but the Dinobots were never allowed to be a part of it. They had always been held at arm's length, not allowed to come close to the sparks around them or have a klick of understanding passed their way. Because they came in at a time when most of the crew was broken and nursing fractured sparks.

And it killed Wheeljack on the inside to know that they had felt so much and done so much for the bots around them and had never once been viewed as anything other than violent fools that were too different to be given the time of orn.

A part of him still cringed a little inside that it had taken Grimlock standing there with Bumblebee in his claws for Optimus and the others to finally open their audios enough to listen to the words he was saying and not the way he was saying them. Yes they were different. Yes they were mechs out of their time, but they were not stupid.

They were just . . . _different_.

Now though, Wheeljack had a little hope.

Optimus had heard.

Ratchet had realized.

They were making steps in the right direction. The proof of that should be in the fact that Ratchet was standing beside him and Optimus was trying to keep Prowl from tossing them out on their skid plates because despite his lack of size compared to them Jack was positive the SIC could pull it off. After all the times Swoop and Sludge set him on fire while playing with the inventor's chemicals he was pretty sure Prowl could find a way.

"**You're right. Okay? I get it." **Ratchet mumbled making Wheeljack smile behind his mask. **"They are . . . ."**

"**Pretty much the same as your adopted sons?"**

"**I will still scrap you, Wheeljack."**

"**I'm just pointing out the obvious."**

"**So am I."**

"Hey? You Wheeljack?" Both mechs looked up to find the five Dinobots watching them curiously.

"What's up Swoop?" Wheeljack spoke to the youngest of the five brothers who was sitting cross-legged on his table his strange wings fluttering behind his back as he tilted his head at him.

"What you Wheeljack and him Ratchet talkin' 'bout?"

Jack smiled. "You mechs."

Sludge and Swoop tilted their heads, Slag and Snarl lifted an optic ridge, and Grimlock remained as unreadable as ever.

"Why?" The oldest of the mechs grumbled his bright optics narrowing behind his visor.

"Well," Wheeljack started. "Because you came back."

"You Wheeljack not want us Dinobots back?" Sludge mumbled kind of pitifully. Wheeljack started forward in a nano-klick shaking his head briskly.

"Of course I want you mechs here, Sludge. You have any idea how much I've missed you crazy bunch? You have no idea how happy I am to see you."

Swoop and Sludge grinned brightly at him while even Snarl and Slag cracked him a smile, but when his bright blue gaze settled on Grimlock he found him watching only Ratchet as the yellow and red medic watched him in return. A kind of dangerous stalemate that was either going to lead to something very good or very bad. Which that might be Jack hadn't figured out as of yet.

"What about you Ratchet? Happy us Dinobots come back to Autobots? Or just happy me Grimlock gave him Itty Bitty back?"

Ratchet snorted, crossing his arms and hardening his gaze. "We would have had Bumblebee back whether we had to take him by force or not, Grimlock. Don't think we wouldn't. None of us will ever lose him again."

Now it was Grimlock's turn to snort.

"Him Ratchet think can so easily_ make _me Grimlock do something again?"

"I know what Ironhide is capable of when you get between him and what he views as his." Ratchet countered.

The King regarded this thoroughly for a moment before he huffed. "Dinobots not harm Itty Bitty."

"We know that, Grim." Wheeljack put in.

Both the medic and the t-rex ignored him.

"And why do you care so much all of a sudden about something so little and helpless? Last time I checked you hated small and weak." Ratchet grumbled.

All the Dinobots glared at that.

"Not sparkless." Swoop whispered.

"Not that you Autobots ever stopped to notice." Snarl huffed.

"Built big and rough." Sludge shrugged. "Small and weak not go along well with Dinobots."

"We break stuff." Slag offered.

"Just happens." Swoop finished. "But we Dinobots not break him Itty Bitty. Promise. We help protect him."

"Why?" Ratchet glanced around at all of them trying to figure out why they—_them _of all mechs on this planet—cared. What had changed? Or was it that it was always there and he'd never seen it. Just like he'd never seen the obvious facts right before his faceplate when it came to the twins. So many things he had missed because he hadn't been looking. So many things he could have been trying to fix long before now. He just hadn't known.

Could the same be said about Grimlock and the other Dinobots?

Had Wheeljack really been right all along? Were they not the picture all the Autobots had formed of them?

"Because him Itty Bitty is youngling." Grimlock shrugged as if that answered all the questions Ratchet could possibly asked. As far as Grim was concerned it would. It was logical to him. And if it was logical to him then by pit every other mech must get it.

Ratchet watched the mech carefully. "And that matters to you?"

"Yes." Swoop chirped a very youngling like sound, but Ratchet watched the leader of this glitchy band.

"Me Grimlock never once liked taking order from him Prime." The massive mech started. "Don't see why _him _leader. Him Prime won't do what needs be done. Him won't end that Megatron. End him war be over. But no. Always hesitates. Always waits. Me Grimlock seen it more than once. Him Prime not pull trigger until _have _too. Understand that that just way him Prime is. Him not as hard sparked as others. Not as hard sparked as me Grimlock. That don't matter though. Can't matter. Him Prime supposed to be leader. Supposed to be stopping war. Only way to stop war is to kill him Megatron. Prime never done what he had the chance too. Cuz him still want him brother to change. Well that Megatron not gonna change. Not ever. Him spark gone. Lost to a place him not gonna find it again. We Dinobots can sense that."

Ratchet tilted his head caught up in the mech's words but Grimlock wasn't done.

"But me Grimlock still take orders. Still do as you Autobots wanted. Cuz him Wheeljack wanted us too. Because we Dinobots wanted to be with him Wheeljack and you Ratchet even if you Ratchet not really care about Dinobots. Still help fix us. Still owe for life. So Dinobots did as told. Shot, blown to bits, torn apart, and abused for vorns for you Autobots and never once did get a thank you. Never once did get anything but told what it was we Dinobots did wrong. Always. Still we obeyed though. Because we not known nothing else. Can't 'member nothing else. So what else Dinobots supposed to do? We good soldiers. We good breakers. So do it. Over and over again no matter how Dinobots were treated. When Sectors fell though. When him Prime not stop him Megatron from destroying all that innocence me Grimlock draw line. Me no longer follow leader that just let all hope for Cybertron die in droves. Without sparklings, without younglings what point of war? What point of anything? There is no more. Not gonna be again probably. We Dinobots know that. Hardly femmes left and no means to raise new sparks even if they were sparked. On dying planet it be cruel to try and get more little sparks now." The mighty mech looked away as a sad feeling drifted through the air.

He was right.

And it hurt that he was.

"That why me Grimlock did it. Not cuz wanted to lead. Not care if lead Autobots. Me already King. Why need to be Prime? Don't need too. Grimlock did because Grimlock was angry. Angry that there was nothing left. No purpose for anything anymore. Why fight for anything? All bots already as good as dead when lost all the younglings. It sad but it true. Me Grimlock attacked Prime to show him what his trying to show mercy brought. Did it to show that Dinobots were done. That not fight for him Prime no more. If me Grimlock wanted to kill him Prime, him Prime be dead. Not would have stopped. Not even him Wheeljack could have made me. Stopped because was done. Left because wasn't wanted and because was done. Left to find some purpose for us Dinobots. Me King of Dinobots and had to have something for me brothers to be. Couldn't leave them with nothing. So we Dinobots left to hunt, and kill, and battle Dinobot way. To scrap anything that had to do with him Megatron and make him pay for taking any hope Cybertron had. Us Dinobots not like any other mechs here now. Dinobots part of time in Cybertron that long dead. Us already know what like to be last of kind. Know what it like to have no future hope. Didn't want it for this new batch of Cybertron. Yet here is. Because him Prime didn't stop him Megatron. Hope died with Sectors. That just the way it is. Least it was until we Dinobots found him Itty Bitty out there. Not believed he was youngling. Thought couldn't be. He is though. We Dinobots see that now. And if there is youngling that mean there hope. If there hope than Dinobots have reason to be again. Cybertron have reason to be again. That why you Ratchet. That why us Dinobots care."

Suddenly the door to Wheeljack's lab swished open rather slowly reviling the forms of Optimus, Jazz, and Prowl who stood there equally as shocked by the words they had heard through the reinforced lab door only because of Prowl security clearance.

Their appearance startled Grimlock slightly. He'd said all that thinking only the medic and the inventor that saved his hide were going to hear it and yet it seemed the very mech he'd resented for so long had heard it as well. Along with that upbeat short silver one and the winged one that he and Slag found fun to see how often they could make glitch.

For a moment the mechs all stood there taking each other in before Optimus shifted his optics between his trusted friends. Jazz was beaming that 'told ya slaggers so' kind of grin he loved to wear, Wheeljack was vibrating with pride, Prowl looked oddly satisfied, and Ratchet seemed to be viewing things a little differently. Optimus nodded to each of them crossing his arms, and said the words that were going to open up another chapter into the life of his family and possibly the war.

"We have ground rules when it comes to being around and caring for Bumblebee." He started.

Every single one of the Dinobots titled their head to the left and blinked in surprise.

"You Prime want us Dinobots stay?" Sludge questioned in shock.

"You came back with us. I assumed that's what you wanted too."

The five brothers glanced at each other.

"_Stay Grimlock?" _Swoop questioned over their five way linked sibling bond.

"_Yeah Grim . . . stay?" _Sludge pressed.

"_Want to stay?" _Grimlock returned.

Slag shrugged. _"Be something different for us Dinobots do."_

"_Him Itty Bitty might make him Prime not so bad." _Snarl agreed.

Grimlock nodded. _"Dinobots stay then. For Itty Bitty."_

"_And for him Wheeljack. Maybe him Ratchet too. Him might not hate us Dinobots so much now. Maybe all Autobots hate us not so much now." _Swoop optimistically offered.

"_Dinobots see, Swoop." _Grimlock answered back uneasy to give his youngest brother too much hope too soon. Wheeljack would always care for and accept them, the others . . . Grimlock was not yet sure.

"Dinobots stay. Follow you Prime again. Protect Itty Bitty." Grimlock answered.

Optimus just nodded knowing overly dramatic or warming words were going to make the mechs that had suddenly shown so much more of themselves than Optimus had ever thought possible lock up tight and probably never let it show every again. They had uttered words that made him rethink everything he'd done over the last millions of vorns. Had said things he himself had been scared to admit to himself. Had made him stand up and face the truth.

And had agreed with the feeling in his spark. That is brother was gone forever, lost to him to the darkness he couldn't explain, but their hope was not because while Megatron was doing his best to destroy everything, they had Bumblebee and as long as they had the youngling there would always be hope.

"There are rules though." Ratchet spoke up. "Rules that you _will _follow. Because I will _not _be fixing a broken youngling because you bots forget how fraggin' big you are. Understand?"

The five mechs nodded; Sludge and Swoop rather quickly and dramatically, Snarl and Slag kind of more like a shrug but there was a nod in there somewhere, while Grimlock stared for a good long while before he offered a curt nod.

"What rules Autobots have?"

"There will be no picking him up and dangling him over _anything_. _Ever_." Ratchet started. "I don't care if it's air or a smelting pit. Nothing! He is to be held properly if you must hold him, Wheeljack and I will show you. He is to be _in _berth at the proper time and not a klick later! I will not deal with a recharge deprived youngling. If you don't know what to do call Ironhide, Optimus, or me. If he cries, you call. If he gets hurt, you call. If he seems to be acting funny, you call. If—you know what just always call."

Wheeljack and Jazz snickered at the medic and the Dinobots listening intently.

The two officers were gifted a glare and then promptly ignored.

"He is breakable. _Very. Breakable! _So no running with him, or trying to take him places he shouldn't be, and you _will _watch where you put your feet. He never pays attention to where he's going. _Ever_. So you have too. If—"

"Ratch slow down," Optimus rumbled lightly drawing the CMO's rule list to an abrupt end while he stepped forward and held gazes with Grimlock. "The list is quite long I'll admit it, and it will take some time before most here trust you enough to not hurt him. I'm sorry but that is the way it is. He owns the spark of everybot in this faction and his care is not something we take lightly. He's adventurous and curious and troublesome and we love him for it. I'm willing to trust you Grimlock, if you are willing to trust me. You are right about more things than I ever want to admit too, but know this. I didn't mean for the Sectors to pay for my mistakes. I didn't mean for any of this to happen and it is a guilt I will live with the rest of my life. Life goes on though, Grimlock. As painful a fact as that is, it is true. No matter how much the world seems to crumble around you somehow it's still spinning tomorrow and we must all find a way to go along with it. If for no other reason than because Bumblebee deserves a chance to know life outside of war. We all do."

"Dinobots not know nothing besides war." Snarl said quietly.

"Like to see something else. Maybe. Somehow. Him Itty Bitty should see too." Sludge agreed.

"Then help us find a way to stop Megatron. For good." Optimus offered.

The Dinobots glanced among each other for a few klicks their red optics glittering with a hidden message between them and then they all nodded in unison.

"We Dinobots try again with you Autobots." Grimlock nodded to the Prime. "For him Itty Bitty. We learn rules. Follow rules. Stop him Megatron for good."

Wheeljack giggled like a four vorn old sparkling. "I'll get to cleaning out the storage hanger than."

Optimus smiled. "You'll need some help."

* * *

Poke.

Poke.

Poke.

Poke.

Poke.

Pause.

Blink.

No change.

Resume.

Poke. Poke. Poke. Poke. Poke. Poke.

"Enough, Bee." Ironhide sighed quietly readjusting the little yellow bundle of nervous energy he refused to let leave his chest as he lay back against the wall behind his berth cradling the mechling. The massive ebony mech hadn't let go of him once other than long enough to let Ratchet scan him and assure them all that he was not injured. Tired, hungry, and dirty but not injured.

A part of Ironhide felt that it could breathe again while the other part of him just wanted to smack the youngling over the head for his stupidity, put him to berth, and leave him there. That wasn't going to happen though. He wasn't about to let Bee go for a while yet.

The little pest had scared him.

He'd run away.

The confused baby blue optics of the little mechling stared up at him though from his place safely in his arms where he had been poking the thick armor of his guardian's chest. Bumblebee knew he had messed up. He knew he shouldn't have run off. And he knew now that his family hadn't been purposefully ignoring him. It had still all happened though and he just really didn't understand.

"Sorry upset everybot, Hide." Bumblebee mumbled as he kept poking and prodding at the grooves in Hide's chest to distract himself.

"I know, Bumblebee." Ironhide assured him as they reclined in the safety of the mech's dark quarters. The rest of the ship could go on without them for a little while. Ironhide didn't care about anything else than the tiny mechling resting in his arms. "You just can't do stuff like that to me. You scared me."

Bee looked up into those dark blue optics shinning back down at him. "But Hide. You not scared of nothin'."

The mech rumbled a purr and a laugh at the words stroking his charge between the antennas getting an answering purr in return as the two snuggled into the warmth of each other; spark and frame.

"I'm afraid of losing you, mechling." Ironhide confessed. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Bee snuggled in closer his spark pulsing out for the power that was his guardian. He was gifted an answering pulse in return before Hide wrapped his spark tightly around the bubbly light that was Bee holding him close and refusing to let go. Ever.

"Not goin' nowhere." Bumblebee promised.

"Then promise me you will never run off like that again." Ironhide said. "You can't go running off on your own, Bee. There is a lot out there that would love to get its claws on you. The worlds a dangerous place for little mechlings that stray too far from home."

"But me found Grimy. Nothin' bad happen." Bumblebee pointed out.

He understood that he shouldn't have left, and he had no plans to do it again. The sheer pain and worry in the spark of his beloved guardian when he was back within reach of it had hurt the little mech. It hurt to know that he had put those feelings there, and he didn't want to do it ever again. His Hide wasn't supposed to be afraid. None of his family were. He knew that what he did was wrong. He wouldn't do it again. A part of him was still kind of surprised his little skid plate wasn't grounded.

He should be.

He kind of figured, that is.

But he wasn't.

Hide had just let Ratchet scan him, than snatched him back, got some energon, fed him, and then locked them away in their berthroom ignoring everything else entirely. All Ironhide seemed to care about was holding Bee close—not that Bee minded—he just wanted Hide to stop seeming to think he was going to vanish into thin air.

"That doesn't mean something can't." Hide's grip tightened as he stared out across the dark berthroom. "Do you understand that, Bee? Do you understand that there are mechs that will hurt you? You can't trust strangers."

"Met Dinobots on accident."

"That's not what I meant." Ironhide sighed.

"Know 'Cons bad, Hide. Know mean mech Mega . . . Mega . . . Mega—"

"Megatron." The designation came out in a snarl that Ironhide hadn't meant to let slip, but Bee just nodded knowing how much his guardian hated that mech and that name. Everybot on the ship did. He'd take Bee away from them. That hadn't made anybot happy.

Including Bee.

But there were things about that orn and that mech that Bee hadn't told his protectors. He'd tried once or twice, but the words never seemed to really come out right, and when he brought any of it up everybot around him kind of went into that tense simmering anger that he tried to avoid causing in them. So he'd just let it go. He never talked about what he had found when he went digging around in the spark of the enemy of his family. He figured that was something better just left to him, because truthful he had no idea what any of what he found meant. How could the evil mech that was constantly trying to hurt the mechs he loved have a good inside him like Optimus did?

It didn't make any sense!

"Know him bad. Can feel bad. Grimy and Dinobots not bad. Didn't mean to get found though. Didn't mean to not come back. Just was lookin' for something to do. Following. Than couldn't find way back."

Ironhide nodded. "I know, Bee. Just don't do it again. You have to stay were we can keep an optic on you. I won't lose you again."

"'Kay. Me promise, Hide. Not do it again."

"That's my youngling." Ironhide offered him another purr that built up in his spark and vibrated on for many klicks when Bee purred in return and snuggled into Hide's chest playing absently with a scratch or two in his paint the pair quite happy to just quietly be for a little while after all the excitement.

Well that is until the youngling shifted around next to his adopted Sire's spark, tilted his head back, and blinked those big innocent optics up at Hide in curiosity.

"Hide?"

A rumbled purr was his answer as the mighty mech rested against the wall with his optics closed content with the feeling of his son's spark beating close to his own.

"What are 'Sectors'?"

The contentment train screamed to a halt.

"What was Grimy talkin' 'bout?"

Slowly Ironhide opened his optics glancing down to those big orbs. His spark twisted around in pain inside its chamber. The innocence that glowed in those optics spoke volumes. The weathered mech had heard it said a billions times that the optics were the windows to the soul, and he'd always said it was sentimental nonsense. Well he believed it now.

How could a bot in their right processor not?

All a mech had to do was look at that fraggin' faceplate to see it was true!

That was all the proof anybot should ever need to believe that there was something behind that saying. Because a bot could get lost in Bumblebee's optics. They burned with such truthful _goodness _and light and hope and promise and warmth and over all glittering innocence that it was impossible to not think it was like looking right into that brilliant little spark of his. Especially after they felt what it was like to be close to that spark. To have felt it.

Bumblebee was the embodiment of hope if Ironhide ever thought it was possible.

He was Hide's hope at least. Along with quite a few others, but there were times that the massive warrior really wished he wasn't as blissfully innocent as he was.

Because how in Pit was he supposed to explain what happened to the Sectors to a twelve vorn old youngling?

How was he supposed to explain to him that he was the last youngling?

"Bee," He started carefully sitting up and setting the youngling down in his lap as Bee crossed his short legs looking up expectantly. Ironhide's cannons itched with irritation, not at Bumblebee, but at himself, at Megatron, and at the truth. "The Sectors were a place early in the war."

Bee tilted his head at this. "Not there no more?"

"No. They are gone."

"But why Sectors being gone make Grimy not like Optimus? Was Grimy's family there?"

"No." Ironhide weighed his words carefully. "Grimlock's only family is his brothers, and I guess Wheeljack if you want to count him. He looked after them like they were his."

"Then why it upset everybot so?" Scooting closer to his guardian's middle the youngling debated how he wanted to ask this next question. He'd wondered this for a while and just not known how to ask it. He still wasn't all that sure asking was such a good idea. Already he could feel Hide's spark tighten and shrink back a little. He didn't want to talk about this. He didn't want Bee to know. Whatever it was it was bad. The little yellow mechling could tell that much. He just didn't know why.

He heard the word Sectors before.

He gathered a while ago that it was a place, and that it had been very important.

He just didn't know why.

Ironhide swallowed harshly secretly planning how he was going to take Grimlock apart the next time he saw the giant idiot. This was his fault. At least he was the one Hide was going to blame for the moment. Because his cannons were heating up despite himself and he had to fight to keep the battle protocols from starting to scroll before his optics.

"The Sectors were destroyed by Megatron, my little Bee." Ironhide told him as his spark cringed in his chest. He didn't want Bee to know this. He was too young to know this.

"Oh." Bee nodded his faceplate scrunched up in contemplation. "That make everybot sad? Was city? Lots of bots . . . died?"

"Yes . . . lots of bots died." The weapons specialist's spark flinched at the words. "But it wasn't a city."

"What was?"

"They were supposed to be left out of the war. They were supposed to be neutral, but Megatron destroyed them anyway. Before they could be saved."

"Oh . . . okay." Resting his head against Hide's thick armor as he mulled over how he wanted to ask the rest of this. He had a feeling asking was just going to upset Ironhide, but he wanted to know. "Umm, Hide?"

A weary hum was his answer.

"Why Grimy and Swoop and them not like Autobots?"

Ironhide plucked his charge from his lap and brought him up close to his spark again. Bee didn't mind and it always seemed to make every mech feel better so he just situated his little self in Hide's palm leaning against his spark and listened.

"Well for a long time we thought it was because Grimlock doesn't like taking orders, and I still think it has something to do with it, but it might also have to do with the Sectors."

"Why?"

Ironhide couldn't lie to Bumblebee. No matter how bad he wanted too, he just couldn't. It was wrong. He'd promised himself not long ago that if the youngling asked him a question he would answer it to the best of his ability and truthfully. Because Bee deserved the truth even if every fiber in Ironhide's being wanted to protect him from it.

The decision had come from finding out about Trickster and the Guild, and now especially with what the twins had told them. That it was almost certain Bee had come from the Rings.

The knowledge of that physically _hurt_ the hardened mech. To know that sooner or later they were all going to have to face these truths. That one orn Bumblebee was going to sit there innocently—most likely in his grasp—and ask where it was he came from and Hide would have to tell him. He would have to say that some glitchy bots claimed he was part of a sparkling tale, and that his real Sire was most likely a gladiator that would have snuffed him out as soon as he got the chance.

He dreaded that orn with all his spark.

He wouldn't lie though.

If Bee asked . . . he'd answer.

"Because Grimlock apparently blames Optimus for them being destroyed."

Bee blinked in confusion for a moment before mumbling. "Don't think Optimus do that."

"He didn't." Ironhide assured him. "It wasn't his fault. Megatron destroyed them, but they were destroyed because of the war and the war . . . well its complicated Bumblebee."

Mulling this over for a while longer in quiet Bee's antennas folded down and his optics dimmed before he shifted uneasy with the question that wanted out of his spark now. It was the one that he had wondered this for a while now. He just hadn't been sure how to go about bringing it up. He still wasn't sure this was the best time to do it—Hide probably wasn't going to want to answer it anymore than he wanted to answer the rest—he'd come this far though and the question was there burning in his processor.

He _wanted _to know.

Why was he the only one?

"Hide?"

"Yes,"

"How come there no other younglings like me? How come Grimy not believe me was youngling?" He absently started pulling at his short fingers as he lowered his gaze and whispered the last part. "Why me the only one?"

Ironhide's whole frame went very still making Bee cringe.

He knew he shouldn't have asked.

He _knew _it!

It was just something about the concept made him uneasy. It made his spark pulse painfully. There was something he was missing. Something that probably should have been bluntly obvious and he just hadn't seen it.

Whatever it was it upset Hide.

Bee could feel his guardian's spark slam walls up around itself trying to keep its emotions for leaking over the bond it shared with him, but Bee was not fooled so easily. That powerful spark of his knew Ironhide's almost as well as it knew itself. No wall flung up in half felt jesters of a spark that didn't truly want to be away from his could keep everything in.

A few little threads of memory still slipped through the cosmic plane that linked the two and Bee felt Hide's pain, his fear, his anger, his hatred, his worry, his overall hopelessness that seemed to be tied to the simple words the youngling had said and the feeling made Bee slam his own walls up. Stronger, thicker, and much better at keeping out what made him squeak in fright.

Because the feelings terrified him making him really wish now he hadn't asked.

A slightly shaky hand held him tighter to Hide's chest when the squeak left him and the bond was thrust shut. A soft, reassuring, rumble like purr sound meant to calm younglings rose up in Hide's chest despite his spark's frantic panic and his processor sliding to a screaming halt. His own feelings meant nothing compared to Bee's and his spark had upset him. That would not be allowed.

"Shush, Bee." Hide cooed when the little mech trembled against his chest the feelings from Hide's memory of the horrors he had witnessed the orn the Sectors fell having upset him. The massive mech cringed to think if just his emotions toward the subject could upset Bee so, what would knowing the truth do? "It's alright. It's okay. It was a long time ago."

"Upset you." Bee mumbled into his thick armor not looking up even when Hide pet his antennas and stroked the length of his back.

Ironhide sighed. "Bee . . . it's just memories."

"Of what? What that have to do with question?"

_Everything, my little mechling. _Ironhide whispered to himself. _It has everything to do with it._

"Bee," He breathed out. "The Sectors were where all the younglings and sparklings along with most of the femmes were moved when the war took a turn for the worst. When it became clear that anybot caught in the crossfire wasn't going to be showed any compassion by the Decepticons and we didn't have the resources or the time to constantly be trying to save everybot and fight the offensive. So the Sectors were more or less agreed upon. The young, the femmes, and a good portion of neutrals were shipped there. There were about four of them in total spread out among the planet. They were supposed to be left out of the war, young one, that is why they were created . . . why they were left so lightly guarded. Optimus and the rest of us naively assumed that Megatron would not be dark enough to attack innocent, helpless, care centers. We were wrong though Bee. In the span of a few breems one night he launched a decoy front to draw our forces and then he . . . well . . . he destroyed them Bumblebee. Along with everybot inside them. Youngling or not . . . ."

Bee sat there pulling at his fingers long after Ironhide had trailed off letting the heavy words settle upon his spark like lead. Trying to shift through such horror was hard on a processor as young as his. He understood what the words had meant, but the idea that such cruelty was even possible was hard for him to grasp.

How could anybot be that bad?

A shiver ran through his little frame making Hide hold him tighter to his spark as he threw down his walls and wrapped Bee's trembling spark up in his protective embrace. The youngling quickly snuggled into both forms of comfort, physically and mental, as he pulsed back with his own spark.

They sat together gaining strength in each other's comfort before slowly the tiny mech lifted his watery gaze to hold Ironhide's. "So . . . that mean . . . me only one?"

The harsh swallow that came from the mighty mech before him was all the answer he needed.

He turned away while Ironhide held him closer with a sigh. "Yes, Bee. You're the last one."

Bee shivered again.

That was a scary concept.

* * *

Titanium grey optics glittered in the inky blackness as the powerful purple mech perched atop a fallen rock wall his signature and purpose hidden with practiced ease from the handful of night guards below.

Though he did have to work a little harder than usual to keep the chuckle from coming out of his vocal processor.

This certainly explained how they did it.

Secret inventory stashed away deep underground where not even Soundwave would think to look for it. That doorwinged tactician of theirs was cleverer than he'd previously given him credit for.

It was an error he would not allow himself or his partner to make again.

Swinging around from his look out post the deep purple mech sprang back into the soul sucking darkness with a devious grin. This collection might not be as easy as he previously thought, after all he still had no confirmed I.D. on the object of his interest yet. The Autobots were surprisingly very good at keeping things secret, but the price on this sparkling-tale's head was too good to ignore. Flipswitch would not let this one slip through his claws. He and Slipknot were collecting this bounty. He was damn sure of it.

"**Knot," **He called through his comm link as he rounded another blacked out corner and found himself in the empty, cold cavern he and his partner had been hiding in and yet the green idiot was nowhere to be found. **"Where are you, fool?"**

There was a moment of silence before the tall bounty hunter's voice echoed back to him over the quiet static. **"You'll never guess what I found, Switch."**

"**I told you to stay put you aft hat!" **Flipswitch fumed his seeker wings flexing with his anger as he ran a hand over his spiked helm. The thick line of spikes that started at the base of his forehead and ran all the way down his back growing only slightly larger until they ended at the base of his spine. The spikes themselves were not the same color as the rest of his deep purple frame. Instead they were a rich cobalt black that matched the dark streaks that ran beneath those titanium grey optics of his. Though what really made the mech so striking to look at was the deep scar that ran down the middle of his faceplate starting at the base of the left side of his jaw and twisted in an ugly line until it came to an end at the top of his head after it has sliced clean through his half blinded right optic.

It was just one of many the battle hardened warrior bore. From the countless jobs the mech had pulled off over the vorns. It never had stopped amazing the hunter how so many never went down without a fight. Even many of those he's collected that looked to be easy pickings. Most left their mark on him. Then again, that was the way he liked it.

What was the fun of tearing out sparks and hauling cold frames in for profit if there wasn't a little bit of a challenge involved?

He smirked to himself.

And it seemed this new job was going to offer up some challenges as well.

After seeing what was stored down here; energon, armor, ship supplies, salvaged relics, and more he was intrigued. The Autobots were craftier than Flipswitch originally gave them credit for. They'd hidden all this away from the Decepticons in this dark labyrinth that just went on and on. Switch realized now that this at one time had to have been an archaeological site of some kind. That must have been how the Prime even had known about it.

The Prime.

Ha.

The purple mech looked forward to bringing that former noble born bratling's happily little world crashing down around him.

"**Don't call me aft hat! And don't make the mistake of thinking I answer you. I got bored with your scouting so I did a little of my own, and I think I've found something you might find interesting." **Slipknot replied over the comm.

"**Oh?" **Flipswitch rolled his optics. **"And what is that?"**

"**These tunnels run under the Prime's ship."**

A slow, evil, little grin danced up Flipswitch's faceplate as he chuckled into the darkness an idea burning to life in his processor. **"How wonderful."**

* * *

**Wonderful, indeed. **

**Flipswitch you are a sparkless glitch, and Slipknot . . . oh Slipknot what am I going to do with you and that partner of yours? You're going to cause all kinds of trouble. **

**It should prove entertaining. Hee-hee. **

**Also . . . I may or may not love my new OCs. Even if they are sparkless jerks.**

**And Prowl.**

**Mech. You should know better than to throw pens at your boss. It's not nice. And really? The computer screen? Now Wheeljack is going to have to fix that. **

**And how about Grimlock being all deep and stuff? I love that over grown puppy so much! Awe, the fun we are going to have.**

**Then there is Ironhide and Bumblebee. Figuring out he's the last sparkling was a bit of a shock to the little mechling. Which is to be expected. I wonder what kind of trouble this knew knowledge is going to cause? That's gonna be interesting.**

**Anyway, I'm sorry again for the skipped updates. I just lost my muse and had to go find it again. It seems to have returned though so Chapter 9 will be up next Friday or Saturday. **

**. . . As long as my muse doesn't run away again.**

**I want to thank you guys for the wonderful reviews. The feedback on the last chapter was amazing and I look forward to seeing what you have to say about this one. And no pressure or anything but reviews make my muse stick around instead of hiding under the bed and hissing at me like some glitched robo-cat.**

**Just saying.**

**:)**

**The next chapter is full of insanity and the wonderful twins. See ya there!**

**-Jay**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. We all know that. **

**But the plot and OCs are mine. So no touchy. **

**How about a Sunday update anyone?**

**Yeah it took me forever to finish the chapter I was working on. Sorry about that. Here is chapter nine though. **

**I promised foolish twin goodness and here it is, there is also some adorable baby Bumblebee in there too. 'Cuz you know this is his story . . . just some times others still his spotlight. I don't think he minds so much though. **

**So yeah, Enjoy!**

**Thanks again for the reviews guys, you are awesome! I'm trying to reply to them. Life is just busy you know. Don't think I don't read them. I do, and I love you all for them. So again, thanks. Hope to hear what you think about this chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 9

To put it simply there were times Sideswipe questioned his sanity.

Times—usually when he was running for his life from one mech or another after he'd pulled something—that he looked back on his actions and said to himself 'hey maybe that wasn't such a good idea'. This was one of those times.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU, YOU DAMN FRAGGIN' RED FOOL!" Ironhide's bellow rang out through the lower levels of _Eternity_ followed by Sideswipe shriek of terror as he fled through the halls.

"IT WASN'T ON PURPOSE!" Sides screamed over his shoulder as he flung himself around a black corner and raced up a flight of stairs heading for _anywhere_ that wasn't here.

"YOU ARE SCRAP! SCRAP I TELL YOU! THERE WILL BE _NOTHING _LEFT FOR RATCHET TO REPAIR!"

"Slag! Slag. Slag. Slag. Slag. Slag. Slag. Slag. Slag!" Sides chanted as he scrambled down another hallway, jumped over a startled Blaster, and fled like every demon of pit was after him. Considering Ironhide was currently mostly bright pink, he was sure that was a pretty good comparison.

"GET BACK HERE YOU GLITCH!"

"I swear it wasn't supposed to be pink!" Sideswipe yelled throwing himself down another hall as the thundering of heavy steps echoed behind him. They were gaining. How the pit did that massive mech move that fast!?

"YOUR WILL BETTER BE SIGNED!"

Sides practically flew up another flight of stairs only to crash faceplate first into the hulking bulk that was Prime.

"OWW!" He hissed falling to his aft and holding his nose plate.

"Sideswipe?" Optimus lifted an optic ridge to the red mech crumpled at his feet. Then he heard Ironhide's bellows.

"D. E. A. D. DEAD! SO VERY SLAGGING DEAD!"

Sides squeaked in fright scrambling to his feet.

"Sideswipe," The commander sighed. "What have you done now?"

The red mech didn't answer at first, he merely leapt around Optimus cowering behind his frame. Then he graced his new mech-shield with an answer. "I may or may not have rigged a paint bomb in the shooting range, and I may or may not have accidently mixed the paint to pink, and there might be the slightest chance that the bomb went off on Ironhide, and that might mean that he is currently a very nice shade of bright pink."

Optimus blinked for a moment before a heavy breath left him as he glanced over his shoulder. "You _dyed_ Ironhide _pink_?"

"Not on purpose." Sides smiled innocently.

Optimus lifted an optic ridge as Ironhide's steps thundered up the stairs. "You're dead you realize that right?"

Sides whimpered, backing up from the stairway and the commander he realized was _not _going to save him. "Yep, later boss bot!"

Spinning on his heels he raced toward the rec-room and the only way he was going to survive this orn.

Bumblebee.

From behind him he could hear Ironhide bellow again.

"WHERE THE PIT IS HE?!"

"That way." Optimus answered.

Sideswipe ran faster.

* * *

Bumblebee giggled absentmindedly as he stood in the middle of a bright blue box painted on the floor with easily removable paint. The giddy little yellow mechling was grinning like a solar flare as he wiggled his toes over the number one beneath his feet as he fiddled with the little pebble in his hands. Jazz was leaning over him with a grin his visor glowing with mirth while Swoop was practically vibrating with excitement on his other side. A few other mechs were scattered around the rec room watching him. They included Sunstreaker, Jolt, Hammerdown, Blurr, and Tracks. Though Bee really wasn't all that interested in them.

He was too focused in on his new game.

Hopscotch.

Hound had told Jazz about the game on patrol last night and now Jazz was teaching it too Bee since Hound was dead in recharge in his berth. And yes, the silver mech was planning on taking full credit for coming up with it. It was the perfect way to work on the youngling's coordination and help him get better control over his clumsy little feet. Ratchet was going to be thrilled, and Jazz would be less likely to get tossed in the brig when the medic and Prowl found out he rearranged all their files on accident.

In his defense it was late, he hadn't recharged, and Red Alert was _really _annoying when he was having one of his spasms in the early breems of dawn.

"Okay Lil' Bee," Jazz purred beside him as the little mechling grinned. "Now toss the stone into one of the squares."

Nodding vigorously Bee tossed the little round stone. It skipped across the ground and landed in the square with a six in it. Bee giggled in anticipation. He _loved _new games!

"Good!" Jazz praised.

"Now what?" Bee asked.

"Now you have to hop to that square, pick up the pebble, and come back."

"Me can do that." Bee nodded again making the mechs around the room chuckle.

"But," Jazz reached out and stopped him from hopping into the square marked 'two'. "You can only hop on one foot."

Bee paused.

"Huh?"

"There are two types of squares, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well the single squares like the one you're in you can only use one foot in. You have to hop." Bee quickly pulled up his left foot and wobbled unsteadily on his right. Jazz smiled at how silly he looked, but decided not to make note of it at the moment. The picture he snapped would do. "On the squares that are beside each other though. Those you have to put one foot in each of them. Like the four and five squares, you see?"

Bee chewed on his bottom lip for a moment as he wobbled on his right foot before he chirped a positive.

Jazz nodded. "Alright, go for it."

The first hop worked.

Bee managed to get his clumsy little self into the 'two' square without busting his skid plate. The second hop though . . . well that was another story.

He hopped forward again only this time all he pulled off was slipping and tipping forward with a startled squeak fully aware that he was about to bust his noseplate—again—so he snapped his optics shut waiting for the pain, but it never came. A clawed hand reached out and snatched him before he fell to the floor scooping him up and depositing him back in the square he'd been in. Peaking one optic open timidly the little youngling glanced up to see Swoop retracting his hand from him. The beast mech smiled that silly little grin of his the youngling had come to love over the last three Decacycles the Dinobots had been on the ship. Bumblebee grinned in return.

"Itty Bitty be careful." Swoop warned him before the winged mech stood to his full height again. Glancing over his shoulder Bee found Jazz still standing there watching him carefully, seemingly quite happy that Swoop had reacted as fast as he did and snatched him up. It seemed to be something his caretakers were doing just about every orn in some way or another. They were testing the Dinobots. For what, Bee wasn't sure. He guessed it had something to do with whether or not they were serious about protecting him.

Bee knew they were.

He trusted the Dinobots.

They were kind and they liked him.

He was glad that his family was starting to trust them as well.

"Well go on, Bee." Jazz's voice drew him back to the game at hand. "Try again."

Strictly serious all over again Bee pulled up his left leg making sure he had complete balance as he focused in on the 'three' square before him and hopped. He landed kind of wiggly, his arms flying out to catch his balance as he tipped back and forth on his wobbly right leg, and from the corner of his optic he saw Swoop tense, ready in a nano-klick to catch him if he was going to fall again, but the little mech kept his balance and with a grin he sprang forward again this time landing with a foot in both the 'four' square and 'five' square. This sight of him doing so though seemed to thoroughly amuse the mechs present.

He smiled around the room from where he was sprawled out with each foot as far out as it would go and his whole upper half bent over at his waist his little arms wind-milling out beside him trying to keep himself from faceplate-planting the nicely painted grey tiles of the rec room floor. He kept himself upright somehow and with a few more comical twists of his arms he managed to right himself fully to survey the next challenge before him.

Tilting his head to the side his antennas flicked back in thought.

How to get from his nice impression of the splits to the 'six' square and not bust his skid plate?

He was about to test his chances of pulling it off when the door to the rec room burst open and in flew Sideswipe tripping over his own peds as he scrambled forward across the massive room until he leapt over Bee and his game, snatched the little mech from the floor earning a squeak, and brought him up in front of him the huge frontliner cowering—yes actually cowering—behind the little yellow protoform that he had grasped under each arm turned to face the doorway as a brightly colored Ironhide came quite literally screaming in.

"SIDESWIPE WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU YOU'RE SO VERY—" The weapons specialist cut off when he came to a skidding halt before the mech that was currently using his youngling as a mech-shield.

Bumblebee blinked.

One moment he'd been on the floor playing his new game and then Sides came sliding in and scooped him up. Now the red mech was hiding behind him and he was staring at the form of his guardian. Only his guardian was now mostly a very bright shade of pink.

For a moment the whole rec room was silent as Bumblebee glanced up and then down, and up and then down, and up and then down, and then back up and then back down taking in every very strange detail that was the battle hardened mech he loved so much now covered in a very femme shade of paint.

Scrunching up his little faceplate Bee tilted his head. "You look weird, Hide."

And the assortment of onlookers keeled over laughing.

Ironhide's low growl made Sideswipe peak around the little yellow form held before his faceplate as he grinned sheepishly. "Nice new paint job mech."

"Remove the youngling from your faceplate so I can _break it in half_." Ironhide rumbled.

"Umm I like my faceplate the way it is so I think I'm good." The red twin took a step back while the rest of the room was still dissolved in laughter.

"_Sideswipe_!" Ironhide snarled.

"Hide," Bee spoke up again seemingly to be completely fine with his place between his raging Sire and one of his favorite big brothers. "Why you pink?"

Sides stifled a chuckle while the room fell into another bout of laughter. Ironhide's cannons whirled loudly as he tried to rein in his temper so he didn't explode on his charge. "Why don't you ask _Sideswipe_!?"

Oh.

Sides pranked him.

Glancing over his thin shoulder the little mechling flicked his antennas at Sides who was still cowering behind him. The red mech offered him a grin. At least he had the decency to look the slightest bit ashamed.

"You did it." Bee stated.

Sides chuckled nervously. "Uh yeah, Bee."

Ironhide snarled.

"But! I didn't mean for it to be pink!"

"Uh huh." Bee rolled his optics. He guessed it was kind of funny that his guardian was now splattered bright pink, but in all honesty he preferred him the way that he was. And there was the small little detail that Sides didn't let him be a part of the prank. If he couldn't play as well than he had no intention of saving Sides from his fuming target.

Turning his bright optics across the room he found Jazz clutching his middle, bent double and laughing so hard his cooling fans were running trying to keep him from overheating. Bee chirped gaining the mech's attention. Gasping for breath Jazz glanced up laughing anew as he took in the scene before him another time making sure to snap several internal pictures. This was blackmail gold! He got serious again though when Bee pulsed at his spark and gained control of himself as he straightened up while the others were watching with interest trying to keep their laughter tamed down a bit as well.

Bee simply held out both arms toward Jazz and wiggled his fingers pulsing his desire to be held. Jazz complied—much to Sides' horror—strolling forward to snatch up the little mech, though Sideswipe was having none of it. He brought Bumblebee close to his chest and held on for dear life as he backed across the room from Ironhide who followed him each fearful step matched with a fuming step.

"Put. Him. Down. Now. And. Take. The. Slagging. Like. A. Mech!" Ironhide bit out each word carefully faking calm as he backed Sides into the C-Ball table his brother had previously been using.

"_Sunny . . . help?" _Sides pleaded over their bond.

Sunstreaker snorted as he leaned against the round table with a C-ball staff in hand as he watched the drama unfold. _"Nah you did this one on your own. I think the beating should be just you too."_

"_You're gonna let Hide KILL YOUR OWN BROTHER!?"_

"_He won't kill you." _Sunny assured. _"I'm pretty sure anyway."_

"_You feel my pain you aft head!"_

"_Only in spark." _Sunstreaker shrugged. _"And I can live with it."_

"_I hate you."_

"_No you don't."_

"_Yes I do."_

"_No you don't."_

"_Yes I do!"_

"_Well you won't for long." _

"_This is gonna hurt."_

"_Yep."_

The red mech twisted to hand Bee off to his brother and then bowed his head winching even before Hide's fist came down on top of it.

* * *

"Oww," Sides moaned quietly after Ratchet wacked him once more for good measure over the head with a wrench, but he didn't complain anymore after that. Mainly because Ratchet was too busy mumbling and grumbling under his breath to listen to his pleas anyway. It was better for him and every other bot in the long run to just let the CMO attempt to smack the stupidly out of him for a while and then patch him back up.

Compared to the other few times Sideswipe had been glitchy enough to try and pull something off on Ironhide this beating was nowhere as bad. Quite frankly the massive mech just smacked him around a little bit and gave him one sizable dent on his audio horn which Ratchet made worse before he fixed. And the warrior was very much aware that he owed that mercy from the weapons specialist to the little yellow bundle that had been in his brother's arms. Ironhide would never be _really _violent in front of Bumblebee.

None of them really would.

They didn't want him to have to see anymore violence than he already did.

But locked in the medical bay where only his brother was around to see Ratchet smack him, he was much more fair game.

"I mean do you have a death wish or something!?" Sideswipe finally tuned back in on the medic's ranting. "_PINK_! You dyed Ironhide _pink_! Do you realize that if you hadn't have hid behind Bumblebee he would have dismantled you from the ankles up!? Pit! _I'm _going to dismantle you from the ankles up! You hear that you little glitch!? It wasn't even mid orn yet! Don't you have reports or patrols to do? Don't you have something useful to occupy yourself with? Why must you constantly find ways to drive Prowl glitchy, put Hide on the fritz, and force me to beat sense into you!?"

"Because it's fun?" He offered.

BAM!

"OWW!"

"I'm being serious!"

"I don't like serious. War is serious. Our lives are serious. We have enough serious. I make home not so serious. And secretly you all love me for it."

Ratchet drew back for another smack but halfway raised wrench he sighed, lowered it, turned away, and went to digging through tools nearby.

"Just next time . . . ." He drew a breath. "Pick a less 'pink' color, alright. Ironhide is nothing if not proud. He doesn't do embarrassment. You know this."

"That's what makes it so much fun!" Sides grinned much like Bee does as he swung his legs back and forth over the edge of the berth smiling to the yellow and red medic's back. It earned him a growl in return, but he just kept right on smiling. Much like his quiet twin in the corner was doing. Sunstreaker might not have saved Sideswipe from Ironhide's pending wrath but he did—unfortunately—love his idiotic twin brother and was forced to—under pretense of guilt—haul his limping aft to Ratchet after Hide was done, and since he was already there it made since to hang around and make sure he was patched back up and not beat to death for his stupidity. After all, a dead Sideswipe would seriously complicate his life.

Mainly because it would kill him too.

But that was another matter entirely.

"Wrench," Sunstreaker spoke up from his place leaning in the corner drawing the medic's and his brother's attention.

"Yeah, Sunstreaker?"

"I . . . ." The golden mech wondered how he was going to word this little idea that had struck him last night and not sound too much like his over ecstatic twin. Deep down he knew he should bring a question like this to Prime, or at least Ironhide since he dictated most of what the Half Pint did, but it was easier to talk to Ratchet. As much as he respected and cared about the commander and his weapons specialist, Ratchet was the one he trusted to open himself up too.

"Yes?" Ratchet prompted laying down his tools and offering the golden pretty-mech his full attention.

"I had a . . . question of sorts . . . I guess."

Sides tilted his head.

Ratchet waited.

He was very much aware that Sunstreaker was not the twin gifted with the ability to put his emotions into words—no that was the red fool that never muted it, not the golden moody one that usually only expressed himself with his hands be they fisted around armor or a paint brush—so he knew better than to try and press too much. Sunstreaker would talk when he found the words he was looking for and urging him on would only make him frustrated and embarrassed and that never ended well.

In fact it usually just meant more work for Ratchet. So he was content to wait and see what the mech was stumbling over words for now.

"Well after what happened the last time . . . ." Sunstreaker was pretty sure he sounded like an idiot, and he hated it when he sounded like an idiot. That was his fraggin' twin's job! "Primus damn it all! Can we take Half Pint to see the storage tunnels!?"

Ratchet blinked while Sideswipe beamed.

"That's a great idea!" The red mech hopped from the medical berth. "In fact that's just about brilliant! You're a genius, Sunny! Wait . . . why didn't I think of that?"

"Because _I'm _the brilliant one." Sunny rolled his optics.

"Hey I'm brilliant too." Sides snapped.

"When you aren't being an idiot. Maybe."

"Yeah! When I'm not being an idiot!"

Sunstreaker just rolled his optics again as Sideswipe nodded his head in silly righteous superiority while Ratchet just stood there glancing back and forth between the brothers. Sometimes they were quite entertaining, but this time the medic was hung up on the request.

Take the youngling down into the storage tunnels?

Where had that come from?

They'd been at the hidden tunnels for a while, yes, and Bee had asked about what it was the mechs were doing a few times, but it was cold, wet, and dreary down there. It was not really anywhere he needed to be. Besides there was a lot down there he didn't truly need to see.

"So can we? Can we take him on another field trip?" Sides spun on Ratchet his dark blue optics lit up in excitement, completely forgetting all about the stunts he had pulled this morning and fully ready to go get his foolish aft in trouble again.

If he didn't do anything else Sideswipe sure did bounce back fast.

That was just the way Sides was.

The medic looked him over for a few klicks in secret pride before turning his attention to Sunstreaker. He stood looking as impassive as usual to all those that didn't know him well enough to see the curiosity bubbling in his own brightened dark blue optics. He really wanted to do this.

"The last two field trips didn't really go all that well, mechs." Crossing his arms Ratchet leaned back on the counter behind him his optics dancing over each of them.

"That's why I'm asking permission." Sunstreaker stated bluntly.

"And we never ask permission for anything!"

"From me?"

"Well . . . you listen better." Sunstreaker mumbled looking away. Something in Ratchet's spark warmed a little at the words.

"Optimus listens to the two of you as well, Sunny." He reminded gently.

"The last time the little bratling got off this ship he came home dragging the Dinobots. I figured my chances of getting what I want were better if I had your support."

"And why do you want to take him down into that overcrowded, dark, cold, supply maze?"

Sunstreaker was quiet for a moment.

When the moment stretched on into a few quiet kicks Sides stepped a little closer to his brother nudging him ever so slightly with his elbow.

"_Yeah, Sunny. Why do we want to take him down there?"_

"_Found something." _Sunstreaker mumbled.

Sides perked up even more. _"Really? What did you find? Why didn't you tell me?"_

"_Because you're overly excitable." _Sunstreaker groaned, mentally shoving his bouncing on his toes brother over their twin bond.

"_That I am," _Sideswipe drawled. _"And you adore me for it."_

The golden mech cast him a scowl. Looking him over with mock scrutiny before he huffed and looked away again. _"How are we even related?" _

Sides laughed out loud. _"Because split sparks are _weeeeiiiirrrrd._" _

"_What did you spike your energon with this morning?" _Sunny grunted.

"_That stuff I've been messing with." _Sides shrugged.

He received an even darker glare.

"_What?"_

The glare intensified.

"_I'm actually not as stupid as most mechs think I am and you know it! I do get chemical compounds. I know how to make high-grade that _won't _blow up or kill me."_

Sunstreaker glared a few nano-klicks longer before he rolled his optics once again shaking his head. _"When you poison yourself and die you should know that I'm going to brutally murder you."_

"_You'll murder me after I'm dead and you're dead too?"_

"_I'll find a way."_

"_I have no doubt my beloved big brother."_

"_When we spar later you're deader than dead."_

"_Sounds fun!"_

Ratchet cleared his throat. "You two do remember I can't hear you when you do that?"

Both twins' attention snapped back to the medic.

Sunstreaker sighed. "I found some cave paintings I wanted to show him."

"Ancient Tribe cave paintings?" Sideswipe tilted his head once again. "Cool."

"Then take some pictures and show him that way." Ratchet lifted an optic ridge. There was more to this than just showing him what he'd found. Sunstreaker was uneasy about something. He just didn't want to talk about it. The medic could sense it. He'd come to know his adopted sons that well.

The grumble and the glare the golden mech shot his way was proof of that.

Crossing his arms and looking away was the universal sign of Sunny being done with a conversation. Ratchet decided to play along. He shrugged turning back to his unorganized tools letting Sunstreaker prickle up even more until he finally snarled out a breath and came clean.

"He doesn't understand it."

Ratchet turned back with a curious gaze. "Understand what?"

"Those stupid lessons Prowl is making him do! He's learning about the Tribes right now and he's trying but I can see it. He doesn't understand how they were all divided, at each other's throats, and yet still relied on each other to a degree. He has nothing to connect it to. He gets stuff better when he can touch it, but he can't touch the words on the data pad. It's just words scrolling up a screen. He needs to hold it, actually _see _it. Those old cave paintings could help. Give him something to help him get what it is Prowl is trying to teach him."

Sideswipe nodded, suddenly understand what it was his brother was trying to do. He was trying to help Half Pint understand the 'studies' Prowl had decided Bumblebee was old enough to start. The little one got most of it, except math. It was becoming quite clear math was not Bee's strong point, but he could read better than most thought he'd be able too, and history is really what he found fascinating. He'd sit for breems in front of one of those data pads Prowl gave him if it was a history lesson. The Tribes confused him though. Because there hadn't been a lot of recorded history back then when all of Cybertron was broken into sub groups, some tearing each other to pieces, some moving forward in the world building cities like Iacon. It was very different things happening at the same time that Bee didn't get why, but he wanted too and not understanding was staring to upset him.

Sides and Sunny had sat there beside him quite a few orns now since Prowl started his studies watching him, trying to help him, but they didn't really know anymore about history than he did. Jazz and Hide were really the ones that should be teaching him about it, but their own Tribes—the ones that were still around after the council was formed and started naming decedents of the Primes—were a touchy subject. Because they had been wiped from the face of the planet for not complying. For not _civilizing_. That wasn't really something Jazz and Hide liked to talk about because they had left their breed. They had joined the Guard. They had chosen sides against their own.

They were among the last of their kind.

And having Bee know that the council that had once ruled over all of Cybertron behind the word of the Prime had sentenced thousand of bots to death for not falling in line was not really something Bee needed to know just as of yet. He wouldn't understand why it happened.

Pit.

None really any understood why it was done.

Why the council thought they had to wipe out the last of the Tribes scattered in the Sea of Rust. They did though. It was that darker side of the Cybertronian nobles and upper class.

The part Sunstreaker and Sideswipe knew all too well.

The side that Bumblebee had been sparked into.

This particular subject was dancing around a very thin line, but Prowl thought it best if Bumblebee knew about Cybertron before the war. Sure the SIC was watering it down for the youngling, but he still wanted him to know things. Because the little one showed interest. He was just having a hard time grasping the concept that was the Tribal Wars since none of the mechs were willing to give him all the information as of yet. That would come when he was older. When he would more fully understand what war really was.

For now though he needed some way to grasp the differences that had been between the tribes, and what Sunny had found down in those archeology tunnels just might do the trick. If nothing else they would amuse the little one.

"It could help him understand." Ratchet nodded slowly as he thought it over. "And the tunnels are secure. The 'Cons don't even know about them."

"Lucky us." Sideswipe put it.

"Yes," Ratchet agreed. "I don't see the harm as long as you don't let him out of your sight, but you still have to ask Prime and Ironhide."

"Will you tell them that you don't see the harm in it?" Sunstreaker mumbled.

"I'll go with you to talk to them." Ratchet assured him.

Sunstreaker cast him a rare half smile. "Thanks."

* * *

To his credit; Ironhide went a whole four nano-klicks before he bellowed.

"PIT NO!"

"Oh come on, Hide!" Sideswipe pleaded.

"NO!" The massive ebony mech snarled across the desk that stood between him and the red idiot that decided this morning it would be a good idea to paint him pink. "You think I'm gonna let you take Bumblebee anywhere after you decided it would be a good idea to set up a paint bomb in my shooting range!?"

"In my defense." Sunstreaker grumbled from where he stood with his arms cross beside his brother trying very hard not to beat him into a pulp for once again being the reason he was getting punished. "_He_ is the stupid one. I don't think it's fair to judge my request alongside _his _actions."

"He's your twin, aft." Ironhide growled to him.

"Yeah!" Sides faked insult placing his hand over his spark as he twisted to glare at his brother. "I'm your _twin_!"

"That was not my choice." Sunstreaker scowled.

Sideswipe narrowed his optics. "Some big brother you are."

"Some little brother you are." Sunstreaker glared back.

"Why you damn shiny, pretty-mech, pour excuse for a—" Sides had already reared back to nail his twin between the optics before Ratchet stepped up and shoved them apart a cold as ice glare shot both their ways.

"Knock. It. Off. The pair of you!" He warned.

Sunstreaker spun away thoroughly pissed with his brother while Sideswipe did the same and for a klick the room was silent as the CMO, the WS, and CO stood there watching them. It wasn't like Sunstreaker to make request. Usually he just sat back quietly and either said nothing or got enough and eventually took what he wanted. Optimus found this change a bit refreshing, though the two frontliners not being able to get through a conversation without trying to scrap each other was a bit nostalgic at the same time.

He was doing his very best not to chuckle at the pair of them.

"So," He started once he was sure his vocal processor was going to heed his orders of 'no laughing at Sunstreaker when he is trying to be civil'. "You want to show him the cave paintings?"

The golden mech grunted a positive.

"His brother should have thought of that before he made me spend a joor in the wash racks this morning scrubbing off pink paint." Ironhide grumbled.

"I didn't know it was pink!" Sideswipe pleaded.

"You see," Sunstreaker seethed. "You can't even mix paint right!"

"I also didn't know you wanted to take him anywhere!" Sideswipe swung to face his still smoldering with anger twin. "And for the love of Primus, will you stop calling me stupid!? I'm not stupid! Silly, foolish, idiotic on certain orns I'll admit it but I'm not stupid, Sunny!"

Sunstreaker glared over his shoulder. "I wouldn't call you it if you thought before you acted!"

"It was a prank!" Sides threw his hands in the air trying to rein in his own anger. "Okay? I'm sorry!" He spun on Ironhide his dark blue optics pleading and pissed at the same time. "I. Am. Sorry. There I said it! Throw me in the brig! Make me clean the paint out of the shooting range! Let the Dinobots use me as a chew toy! I will take whatever punishment you feel like dishing out! I was just bored! And I _hate _bored! I just needed something to do. I prank, you mechs know that, and I'm not about to stop. I can't. I'd go fraggin' glitchy. Just this time his royal highness aft-head over here," He motioned wildly to his brother. "Had nothing to do with it! So let him go help Half Pint with the stupid Tribe stuff since you and Jazz won't teach him about it yourselves! I'll be in the brig!"

With that the red warrior spun on his heels and made for Prime's office door only to be snatched by his scruff bar by a quick golden hand.

He stopped but he didn't look back to see his brother and Sunstreaker didn't let go. Just held on to him for a long klick before he sighed over their bond.

"_I don't think you stupid, Sides." _

"_Could have fooled me." _He hissed back at him letting the hurt and the anger he felt spill over his spark to his brother.

"_Oh—" _Sunny stopped himself from saying 'grow up you over grown sparkling' because in all honesty he didn't want his twin to grow up.

Ever.

He didn't want Sides to stop pranking, because then he wouldn't be the free fun-loving fool he had been able to become since he they got out of the pit they grew up in. And despite all his bluff and bull deep down he was only an older sibling who loved his little brother more than he loved life itself. Even back when they had run from the Rings—when he was suicidal and stupid—he had just been trying to protect Sides, even from himself. He didn't want him to have to be the colder, harder one. Which was why he had always stepped up to the fight gates.

He killed so Sideswipe didn't have too.

He was mean so Sideswipe didn't have to be.

He was closed off so Sideswipe didn't have to be.

And then, he had learned to love and trust again because Sideswipe had asked him too.

Everything he did he did for his brother.

Just sometimes they acted like brothers. He'd be the first to admit they scrapped each other on a regular basis because they ticked each other off. It was true. They both knew just the right way to get under the other's armor. They still loved each other though, and they would never truly hurt each other.

With a soft sigh Sunstreaker was honest as he poured his love . . . his everything over the bond to his brother. _"You know I love you, you idiotic glitch. Now get over here and help me talk them into this. You're the one that's good with words."_

"_You're an aft you know that, Sunny?" _Sides sent an almost purr back to his brother he was so happy to swim in the warmth of the love Sunstreaker rarely knew how to show.

"_And you're a foolish glitch. Can we move on now?"_

"_Say I'm the best little brother in the whole wide universe." _Sides snickered.

"_Sorry, that's Half Pint." _

Sides was about to protest before he snorted. _"Okay, so yeah I can't argue with that."_

All that happened in the span of about three blinks and then Sideswipe was spinning back to face the officers with a smirk as Sunstreaker let him go and crossed his arms looking into the optics of those he trusted and respected.

"Are you done now?" Ratchet questioned knowing they had been talking over their bond.

"Yep." Sides grinned innocently. "Is my apology accepted?"

Ironhide rolled his optics. It was hard to be mad at the fool Ratchet considered his son. Either of them for that matter. It was also ringing a little true to his audios what Sunstreaker was trying to say. He should be helping Bee with his questions about the Tribes, but it was hard to remember the life he had turned his back on to join the Guard. It was hard to look his son in the optics and tell him his own breed had refused to give up their 'barbaric' ways and all that didn't leave were killed for it.

Including his creators.

If Sunstreaker thought he could help Bee learn with the paintings. Then so be it. Despite how much fuss he gave them he knew both mechs would lay down their lives for the little yellow bundle of trouble, and that they'd do it without a thought.

He owed them for that.

"Sure whatever, but you're still cleaning the shooting range."

"Done!" Sides agreed.

"So . . . can we take him?" Sunstreaker looked to the Prime.

"You think it will help him understand?" Optimus lifted an optic ridge.

"History is his favorite." Sunny nodded. "But he learns better when he can touch stuff."

"I have noticed." Optimus put in.

"So I figured if he could, you know actually touch them that he would get the data pads better."

"What part of the Tribes is he having trouble grasping."

"Why some were tearing each other apart while others will learning to build skyscrapers, and you know the whole big black nothing of what happened to them. Since you don't want him to know about the Tribal Wars yet."

"He is still a very _young_ youngling, Sunstreaker." Optimus sighed.

"I don't want him to know about anymore war than the one he's living in either, Prime." The golden mech offered. "But I also know just as well as you mechs do how curious he is. He's cleverer than we give him credit for a lot of the time."

"He's going to figure it out." Sides nodded. "With or without us giving him the information."

"Well I'm sheltering him as long as I can." Hide grumbled under his breath. "This war might be destroying our very race, but what gutted the Sea of Rust nearly did too."

"History repeats itself." Ratchet let out a tried breath.

"Yes," Optimus' optics grew distant. "For those too foolish to learn from it."

Silence fell between the mechs that knew the words were far too true until the Prime gathered himself back into the present.

"Hot Rod and I were planning on going down in a few breems anyway to see what he will need for his next little project. Hide, were you still planning on coming down to see if that cannon you were talking about is still in the vault?"

"That was the plan, yeah." Ironhide nodded.

"Alright. Sunny, Sides you may come along and bring Bumblebee."

Sunstreaker nodded to his leader his silent thanks.

* * *

**Meanwhile; in a corner of pit far, far, far away.**

Cobalt blue optics flashed open when a groan rolled through the massive mech's tanks. For a moment he lay there on his filthy berth trying to remember how in the pit he got home from the bar last night. He didn't remember coming back to his quarters. Nor did he remember anything he did after that seventh cube of high-grade.

That was probably a good thing.

Normally he didn't want to know once he found out.

Now though, he lay in his berth trying to ignore the pounding in his head and the swirling in his tanks.

Way too much, high-grade. Way, _way_, too much high-grade.

Pitching himself up he leaned over the side of his berth and proceeded to purge ever drop of energon in his tanks coughing and hacking and wheezing for a good seven klicks before he dropped his head with a clank on the bucket that had been so magically placed beside his berth, in the place it never failed he purged. For a moment he considered the possibility that maybe in his drunken state he put the bucket there before he fell faceplate first into his covers last night. However, knowing himself that really was unlikely. So that left two possibilities for his hungover processor to try and work though.

Did his best friend haul his aft back here, gift him with a bucket to purge into, and for once not leave his stupid aft to clean up the mess he made from his own idiocy?

Since his best friend and might-as-well-be brother was normally as over-energized as he was after a night of drinking away their bounty he kinda sorta doubted it. Knowing that fool, he was sharing some strange berth right now. He always did have better luck with the bots than he did, he clanked his head against the bucket, probably because he never purged all over their floors.

Yeah, that might have something to do with it.

The second option though, the one he was leaning toward and yet was really too terrified to really want to consider was the fact that there was only one other mech in the universe beside his best friend/brother that might possibly care enough about his health to drag him back here and not leave his aft in the bar to get robbed of every credit he _didn't _drink away last night.

The thought of that made him cough into the bucket again.

_Please let some random femme be in my wash-racks right now and it not be him that brought me here._ Pleading to whatever higher power that was up there and might be listening he dared peak one optic open and looked toward the direction of his private wash-racks.

As dark and as empty as death.

Yep. That was what he was afraid of.

"How long you going to lay there and try to figure out whether or not it was me that hauled your foolish aft home?"

His energon ran cold in his veins, but he hid it with a play-mech smile. If there was one thing he was good at, it was hiding what was eating him alive inside. And seeing that huge death black mech with the golden streaks along his jagged armor that in the dim light he really didn't want to try and find since it made his processor was spinning—he knew where they were, he'd memorized the paint job of the mech that had saved him all those vorns ago without even really meaning to do it—but it was those burning ember orange optics that cut into his spark that faulted his grin for the slightest of moments.

It had been a while since those orange orbs had held his cobalt blue ones.

And he didn't really know whether or not that was a good thing.

"Well, well, well look what the robo-cat drug in!" He pushed himself up right trying to make it seem like his processor wasn't whirling around in a cloud of mist. In the back of his mind he was trying to figure out if his weapons programs were functional. He wouldn't put it past this old bastard to drag him all the way home and sit with him all night just to slit his throat when he came to.

Yeah, that was something the old aft would do no doubt about that.

However, it seemed his old teacher was not here to kill him this orn. Picking himself up from the chair by the door the dark mech strolled across the room making sure to keep both hands visible at all times. He'd taught the young drunkard in the berth, he knew he was on edge and wary of why he was here. After all he'd turned him and the other lose vorns ago to take care of themselves after they both so stupidly ended up in his ditch of pit.

Foolish aft heads.

Once he was standing at the bright red mech's berth he pulled his reason for being here from subspace and offered it to the younger, brighter colored, mech's hand.

For a few nano-klicks former student observed former teacher before he flicked his head to the side and narrowed his bright optics. He'd already figured out his old mentor was not here to kill him, but that didn't explain why he was here, and he knew better than to just read whatever he was handed. Not from this mech. No.

He was not that stupid.

"What is this about?"

"Read it and find out."

The bright red mech snorted. "You think I'm that dumb? You taught me better than that."

"So I did." The old teacher sighed. "It's a bounty. One that you didn't hear go out since you and your idiot brother were tracing all over who knows where chasing that 'Con deserter."

The red mech grinned. "Hey, we caught him didn't we? The credits on his head were well worth the new scars."

"I'm sure." The black mech rolled his optics. He'd long past out lived the thrill that chasing bounties brought. He had no interest in them anymore. All he wanted now was the two that he was working with on and off to get off their over-energized afts and collect what needed collecting before some other mech killed it.

If it was really out there.

A part of him was still not sure.

"Awe, does boss feel left out because we took a job that he didn't give us?" The red mech fake pouted his bright cobalt optics glittering with mirth up to the larger mech. Well that is until the larger mech back handed him and he found himself sprawled out on his floor on the other side of the room nursing a stinging check. "OWW! DAMN YOU!"

"You will do well not to forget who kept you alive when you got your stupid aft hauled into the Rings." The black mech rounded the berth and came to stand over the mech that had been his student. "Now get up and hear what I have to tell you."

The red one shoved himself up, but his optics were narrowed and angry.

"You aren't my teacher anymore, aft." He hissed. "I don't answer to you! We can take care of ourselves been doing it for a long time!"

"But you still work for me do you not?"

"I'm a bounty hunter! I work for the highest bidder." And he tried to pretend a long lost part of himself didn't break when he said that.

"Oh yes," The black mech chuckled darkly. "And you hate what you have become."

"I didn't have a choice." Those blue optics narrowed. "You made sure of that."

"Do not blame me for keeping you both alive." The orange ones did the same. "I could have let you get gutted, but I saw promise in you and you were spared. Do not make me regret it. You both are exceptionally good at what you do, and now I need you to do what you do best again."

"Haul in another prize?" The red mech crossed his arms lifting an optic ridge.

"Something along those lines." He offered the data chip again and this time the younger one took it flicking into his wrist port and watching the information come to life before his optics. He stood still for a klick and then bent over laughing like a mad mech.

"What!?" He wheezed around his barks of humor. "You actually expect me to believe this!? Ha! Oh pit, I would have never pegged you as a mech to chase after sparkling-tales!"

"I want to know if it is a sparkling-tale or not." The darker mech narrowed his optics again. "That is all, and since I cannot leave nor chase it on my own. I need you and your brother too."

The red mech considered him for a moment before he saw something burning in his teacher's optics.

"This is important to you."

The other mech showed no further emotion.

The younger one tilted up his chin. "I deserve to know what I'm chasing."

With a sigh his orange optics lowered to the floor before he spoke. "He should be dead. His carrier is dead; they hauled in her broken, lifeless frame. I saw it with my own optics. That means he should be dead. Yet somebot in this pit has released this bounty for something that should not be a possibility. I need to know if it is him or not."

"And who is this him?"

"If you find out he's alive I'll tell you." Was the only answer he got.

"All this says is a yellow youngling, should be about twelve vorns old." The red mech reviewed his data. "If you think I'm killing a youngling—which there are no more of by the way—then you really have been in that pit too long. You might not care what you kill, boss, but I do. I won't kill a youngling."

"If he is alive, I don't want him dead." The older mech hissed. "I just want to know! Because if he is alive than every mech in these pits is after the price on his head!"

"That _is_ a really high mark."

"They will haul him in dead or alive to collect that bounty! They will kill him! The only way to keep that from happening is to go and see if he really is out there and to get him before they do."

"And what am I supposed to do with a youngling that may or may not even be real once I find him?"

"You will bring him in. To me."

"And what are you going to do with him?"

"I will get the price off his head."

"_You _will remove the price from his head? Do you even know who placed the bounty?"

"Oh I know." He answered his optics darkening. "The High Ring Master that lost him in the first place. He wants to make sure he is dead."

The red mech paused. "You're not telling me everything."

"Do I ever?"

"This is a lot of trouble for a youngling that might be dead."

"Will you take the job or not?" The black mech hissed.

"Oh, I'll take the job." He nodded. "But when we get back with or without your sparkling-tale you're gonna tell the truth. You owe me that much."

"And you owe me enough to do it now without asking too many questions. Pull off what I want and you will have your answers."

"Fine," Those cobalt blue optics were already growing distant as the younger red mech started mentally planning and figuring. For one he was gonna have to find that stupid brother of his and then they were going to have to find where on Cybertron a sparkling-tale could be hidden before some other bounty hunters did. "But where am we supposed to find him? He obviously isn't alone. Somebot protects him. We're going to have to fight to get him most likely. Besides you know how long it's been since I took care of something that small? How do I get him back to you in one piece without the whole world noticing him?"

"You'll figure it out."

"Gee that is a _lot _of help, boss."

The big black mech had turned from him by then and was headed for the door when he looked over his sharply armored shoulder to meet the younger, brighter, more alive blue optics that were willing to go chasing after what he desperately needed to know if was real or not. He owed his student a lot more of an explanation than the one he could give him. It occurred to him in the back of his processor that it was probably a really good idea that he'd come to this one and not his brother. The other would have laughed in his faceplate and said come back when he was willing to tell them the truth then most likely promptly slammed the door.

But he couldn't tell them the truth yet.

Because he was afraid to believe it.

And it had been a Primus-damn long time since this hardened gladiator had been scared of anything. The possibility that the runt could have lived though—that he was out there somewhere—he had to know. He owed her that much.

He owed her the chance for her to rest in peace. If he could help keep the damned bastard runt alive then he would try. For her. Because she had loved the vile thing more than she had loved life itself . . . more than she had loved him. Even if he knew sooner or later the thing would get snuffed out. Even if he hated everything the vile runt represented. Even if he himself wasn't sure he wouldn't snap his neck as soon as look at him.

"Swindle." He said quietly.

"Swindle?" The red mech snorted. "You have officially gone glitchy."

"Oh don't patronize me!" He snarled, his orange optics flashing dangerously. "The two-bit lying coward will be your best shot at figuring out where he is quickly. As much as I hate that lying thief he is good at what he does. He will help you find him, but be quick about it. More than just his life is at stake here."

And with that he was gone leaving the red mech standing there in his berthroom shaking his head trying to figure out where his life went so fragging glitchy.

Well he knew.

It just still shocked him some times.

How one bad decision made out of pain and anger can alter the very fabric of destiny.

Well, there was nothing he could do to go back and make the wrongs he committed right now. He had long ago given up on the hope that he could ever beg forgiveness for his stupidity. Besides, he was good at what he did. He and his brother both were.

He refused to let himself think of the could have, should have, would have scenarios anymore. All that would get him was dead.

Swallowing down the dread of yet another trip to end somebots life he pulled on his fake smile and went in search of the only brother he dared to let himself think he'd ever see again.

* * *

**Meanwhile: On the outskirts of what was left of Crystal City, not so very far away.**

There was only one thing in his processer at the moment, and that was; the first thing he was going to do after he found that damn Prime was punch him in his fraggin' faceplate.

This was all his fraggin' fault! And he would go to his damn grave swearing that to the Well and back.

The pit damned, fragger, pour excuse for a two-bit processing program was going to get his shiny blue fist between those righteous optics of his! Did they even _know _how long he'd been sneaking around dark corners in that pit trying to get a signal out!? Then, when he finally does drag himself and the three others he somehow managed to save out of there in one piece THE DAMN BOTS DON'T ANSWER HIS TRANSMISSIONS!

GAH!

He was going to murder some mechs when he got back.

Yes. Oh pit yes.

When he was done with Prime then he was going after Jazz.

The fragger.

Stupid special opts director! The glitch was as good as twelve feet under! He was going to bury him!

Deep.

Where no bot would ever find him.

Or dare to go looking, because he'd put a plasma round though whoever was that fraggin' stupid.

Leaping off his lookout post he marched around fuming for a good three klicks before he sighed deeply, the tension rolling out of his frame.

No. No, he wasn't going to do any of that. No matter how bad he might want to right now. The truth was he just wanted to go home. He just wanted to be done with this mission. He just wanted to make it back with all of them still in once piece. If it wasn't for the youngest of the three's talented hands as a medic it was likely all four of them would already be dead.

He silently thanked Primus for his generosity in that department.

Of course compared to all the slag they'd been through up until now, that kind of paled in comparison.

But he was trying to be optimistic.

They were halfway to the hidden tunnels. Judging by the signals he was picking up that was where Prime was. Though he was on a different ship. Which confused the bright mech at first, but then again this was war. The old ship might have gotten blown up. It was possible.

Highly likely actually.

So at this point he was just rolling with it.

It was an Autobot signal. That was all he cared about right now. It was Autobot and it was his ticket home. So that was where he was going.

Thunder boomed overhead and he let out a tired breath.

If only he could get there before the fraggin' rain ruined his finish.

* * *

**Well now, I wonder who those bots could be?**

**Hee-hee.**

**I've waited _forever _to write this chapter and here it is! I love it.**

**Well I hope you liked it too, and I look forward to hearing what you thought. I also know the chapters are a bit sporadic right now and I'm sorry guys I'm trying. It's just that its the end of the semester and I'm trying to get everything finished up. I really am working hard to keep up with updates, just be patient with me. In a few weeks I'll be done and updates will be like they should be again. Just bare with me.**

**The next chapter is . . . well . . . _stuff _happens. Big stuff. **

**Hope to see you there! Hopefully next Friday or Saturday . . . or Sunday. I'll do my best. **

**-Jay **


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